Palm Stearin or Stearic acid

Palm Stearin or Stearic acid?

Palm Stearin or Stearic acid?

Stearic acid is a well known term in our industry, we dare to say that everyone has used it, at least everyone has heard about it, but what is it?
Well, to understand what stearic acid is, first let us talk about the lipids (oils & fats) where stearic acid comes from.

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A lipid is a Glicerol molecule esterified or ”linked” to one, two or three fatty acids, as the Picture 1 shows. The fatty acids linked to glicerol have two characteristics that distinguish one from the other: carbon chain length and amount of double bonds or ”unsaturations”.

The mixes among these characteristics provide the molecule with different features.
Depending on the number of double bonds, fatty acids can be:

• Saturated: There are no double bonds or insaturations
• Monounsaturated: 1 double bond or unsaturation
• Poly-unsaturated : More than 2 double bonds or unsaturations.

The stearic acid, that we know, is an 18-carbon-length fatty acid without double bonds, which has been separated from the glicerol molecule through a chemical process called hydrolysis.
It could come from animal or vegetable fat and, as the name suggests, it is an “acid” therefore special handling precautions are needed, in both, health and process equipment.
So, what is the Palm Stearin?
By nature, palm oil is composed of 50% saturated fatty acids (solid) and 50% unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fatty acids (liquid); due to this nature, it is possible to separate the oil into two fractions: Olein (liquid fraction) and Stearin (solid fraction). This is the real Palm Stearin.
Unlike Stearic Acid, Palm Stearin is not an acid, in fact it has a PH very close to neutral, hence, special handling precautions are not required.
Palm Stearin’s consistencies may vary from being soft as butter to hard and brittle as stearic acid.

Palm Stearin Properties
Due to its nature, Palm Stearin can be used in a wide variety of application, such as margarine, dough, dairy products, confectionery, etc.
In Non Food industry, it is used in several products depending on its consistency:

Soft consistency

• It has “aerated” capacity, so it can be used for beaten candles
• Candles in container
• Molding compounds and plasticine
• Lubricants

Hard consistency

• Candles
• Crayons
• Color pencils
• Wax coatings

AAK has more than 140 years of experience in oils and fats, building strong and long-lasting relationships with our customers throughout the industry …

Natural origin exclusive formulas
AAK is a pioneer in the Palm Oil (and its derivatives) use in Latin America, has developed and technified its processes in order to take the most from this material, and the candle industry was not the exception, following its vision ” Being the first choice for value-adding vegetable oil solutions” AAK has developed a wide range of products providing solutions ranging from hardeners to especific function formulas.

Hardening Additives

WX 358
Made of:
Palm wax
Presentations:
Flakes, cardboxes, bulk
Attributes:
Ideal to give hardness to soft formulations and / or low melting point

WX BT55
Made of:
Tallow wax
Presentations:
Cardboxes and bulk
Attributes:
Ideal to give hardness to soft formulations and / or low melting point, the natural wax with the lightest color.

Consistency improver

WX 402
Made of:
Soy wax
Presentations:
Flakes, cardboxes and bulk
Attributes:
Improves the texture
Increases plasticity
High melting point
Hard without being brittle
Low coloration
Excellent for decorative candles

WX BT50
Made of:
Tallow wax
Presentations:
Cardboxes and bulk
Attributes:
Low coloration
Ideal to replace hard mineral paraffins because of its plasticity and hardness
Ideal for warm weather markets

WX347
Made of:
Palm wax
Presentations:
Cardboxes and bulk
Attributes:
Ideal to replace soft paraffins
Improve the beaten
Odorless
Optimizes production time, since it does not needed to be bleached
Ideal for religious beaten candles

Special Functions

Akogel No. 5
Made of:
Vegetable Oils
Presentations:
Bulk
Attributes:
Ideal for translucent or crystalline decorative candles
Semi solid consistency
Compatible with fragrances and colorants
No mixing required, it can be used 100%

Akosense
Made of:
Palm and coconut wax
Presentations:
Cardboxes
Attributes:
Liquid at body temperature so it does not burn the skin
Ideal for relaxing and therapeutic massages
Natural and ecological origin
Compatible with aromas and essences

AAK SOLUTIONS WARRANTY

Odor free
Compatible with mineral paraffines
No smoking
Does not generate soot in the container
No odors
More plactic and creamy
Better texture
Compatible with fragrances and colors
Ecological and sustainable
Does not release unhealthy waste
140 years of experience
2,700 employees
Customers in more than 100 countries
The Co – Development Company

* Please note that information provided in this article and the subsequent discussion is the opinion of the author(s) only and do not necessarily represent the views of ALAFAVE.

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