Palmitic acid (CAS 57-10-3) — Citrus Base Note Fragrance Ingredient
Palmitic acid
CAS 57-10-3
What Is Palmitic acid?
Palmitic acid is a saturated fatty acid naturally found in palm oil, animal fats, and dairy products. It’s commonly used in soaps, cosmetics, and food emulsifiers. While safe in regulated products, excessive use in foods may raise health concerns, making ingredient awareness important for consumers.
Safety Profile
GENERALLY SAFEWhat Does Palmitic acid Smell Like?
Palmitic acid has a faint, waxy odor reminiscent of candle wax or unscented soap. Its fatty character lacks the volatility to contribute significantly to fragrance profiles, serving more as a structural component in formulations than an olfactory one.
2D Molecular Structure
SMILES: CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC(O)=O
Chemistry, Properties & Perfumer Guide
The Chemistry
Palmitic acid is a straight-chain saturated fatty acid with 16 carbon atoms. It’s synthesized in plants and animals through fatty acid synthesis pathways. Industrially, it’s obtained through hydrolysis of palm oil or animal fats. The molecule lacks functional groups that would contribute significant odor.
Physical & Chemical Properties
| Boiling Point | 351 °C |
|---|---|
| Melting Point | 62.9 °C |
| Density | 0.853 g/cm³ at 62 °C |
Perfumer Guide
| Application | Typical % | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soap Making | 15-45% | Up to 60% | Primary hardness contributor |
| Cosmetics | 1-5% | Up to 10% | Emulsifying agent |
| Food | 0.1-2% | Up to 5% | Emulsifier and texturizer |
Classic Accords
Tip: Use as a hardener in soap formulations rather than for fragrance contribution.
Alternatives & Comparisons
Offers similar hardening properties with slightly different melting characteristics for temperature-sensitive formulations.
Safety, Regulatory & Sustainability
⚠ Regulatory Disclaimer
General reference only. Consult current IFRA Standards Library before formulating.
IFRA Status
No IFRA restrictions. Commonly used in cosmetic formulations.
RIFM Assessment
Considered safe for current use levels in cosmetics by RIFM.
Sustainability
Sourcing primarily from palm oil raises environmental concerns regarding deforestation. Sustainable palm oil certification programs exist to mitigate these issues. Synthetic production alternatives are available but less common due to cost considerations.
Explore Palmitic acid
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References
- PubChem Compound Summary for Palmitic Acid CID 985
- EFSA Panel on Food Additives (2017). Re-evaluation of fatty acids as food additives. EFSA Journal.
Data: PubChem (NIH), PubMed, RIFM, IFRA. Last reviewed: Apr 2026.
Report a data errorIngredient Data Sheet
CAS 57-10-3Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 256.42 g/mol🔬 PubChem |
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 6.4🔬 PubChem |
| Boiling Point | 351.5 °C🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Vapor Pressure | 0 mmHg @ 25°C📊 OPERA |
| Flash Point | 205 °C🔬 EPA CompTox |
| log Kp (skin permeability) | 0.28💻 Calculated |
| SMILES | CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC(=O)O🔬 PubChem |
Volatility & Performance
| Fragrance Note | Base💻 Calculated |
Odor & Flavor
| Primary Descriptors | odorless• leffingwell |
| “really more a mouthfeel than an aroma or n-Hexadecylic acid.”📖 Arctander | |
| Palmitic acid is virtually odorless. It is also reported as having a slight characteristic odor and taste. It is a mixture of solid organic acids obtained from fats consisting chiefly of palmitic acid (C 16 H 35 O 2 ) with varying amounts of stearic acid (C 16 H 36 O 2 ).📖 Fenaroli | |
Regulatory Status
| IOFI Classification | Nature Identical📖 Fenaroli |
Physical data: PubChem (NIH/NLM), U.S. EPA CompTox Dashboard, EPA OPERA models, RDKit. Odor & flavor: Arctander (Perfume & Flavor Chemicals), Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients, Leffingwell. Thresholds: van Gemert (Compilations of Odour Threshold Values). Regulatory: IFRA Standards 51st, FEMA GRAS. Trade names: Surburg (Common Fragrance & Flavor Materials). All data compiled and cross-referenced for perfumertools.com.
Physicochemical Properties
DTXSID: DTXSID2021602
Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 256.43 g/mol🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Density | 0.858 g/cm^3🔬 EPA CTX |
| Boiling Point | 351.5 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Melting Point | 61.962 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Flash Point | 196.5 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Refractive Index | 1.454 Dimensionless📊 OPERA |
| Molar Volume | 287.269 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
Partition & Solubility
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 7.015 Log10 unitless🔬 EPA CTX |
| LogD (pH 5.5) | 6.459 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogD (pH 7.4) | 4.697 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogKoa (Octanol-Air) | 9.91 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| Water Solubility | 0 mol/L🔬 EPA CTX |
| Henry's Law Constant | 0 atm-m3/mole🔬 EPA CTX |
Transport Properties
| Vapor Pressure | 0 mmHg🔬 EPA CTX |
| Viscosity | 21.531 cP📊 OPERA |
| Surface Tension | 31.614 dyn/cm📊 OPERA |
| Thermal Conductivity | 154.705 mW/(m*K)📊 OPERA |
Molecular Descriptors
| Topological Polar Surface Area | 37.3 Ų💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Donors | 1 count💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Acceptors | 1 count💻 Computed |
| Rotatable Bonds | 14 count💻 Computed |
| Aromatic Rings | 0 count💻 Computed |
| Molar Refractivity | 77.739 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
| Polarizability | 30.818 Å^3📊 OPERA |
Data Sources:
🔬 EPA Experimental data from U.S. EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard & CTX APIs. 📊 OPERA Predicted using EPA's OPERA QSAR models. 💻 Computed Calculated from SMILES using RDKit.
