Oleic acid

Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fatty acid found in various animal and vegetable sources. It has the empirical formula C₁₈H₃₄O₂ (or CH₃(CH₂)₇CH=CH(CH₂)₇COOH). Its IUPAC name is cis-9-octadecenoic acid, and its lipid shorthand name is 18:1 cis-9. The saturated form of this acid is stearic acid. It is used in Lorenzo's oil.

Oleic acid comprises 55-80% of olive oil and 15-20% of grape seed oil.

Physical Data

Appearance: Pale yellow or brownish yellow oily liquid with lard-like odor

Solubility: Insoluble in water

Melting Point: 15.3 degrees C

Boiling Point: 360 degrees C

Specific Gravity: 0.895

Reference

General reference: NIST Chemistry Webbook

Additional reference:

1. Bishop, Paul L. (2000). Pollution Prevention: Chapter 2 - Properties and Fates of Environmental Contaminants, instructional slides to accompany Pollution Prevention:Fundamentals and Practice, by Paul L. Bishop (ISBN 0073661473). Retrieved 2005-03-07.