Lauric acid
Encyclopedia : L : LA : LAU : Lauric acid
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| Other names | Lauric acid n-Dodecanoic acid |
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| Density | 3 |
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Lauric acid, or dodecanoic acid, is a fatty acid with the structural formula CH3(CH2)10COOH . It is the main acid in coconut oil and in palm kernel oil, and is believed to have antimicrobial properties. It is a white, powdery solid with a faint odor of bay oil.
Uses
Lauric acid, although slightly irritating to mucous membranes, has a very low toxicity and so is used in many soaps and shampoos. Sodium lauryl sulfate is the most common lauric-acid derived compound used for this purpose. Because lauric acid has a non-polar hydrocarbon tail and a polar carboxylic acid head, it can interact with polar solvents (the most important being water) as well as fats, allowing water to dissolve fats. This accounts for the abilities of shampoos to remove grease from hair.Because lauric acid is inexpensive, has a long shelf-life, and is non-toxic and safe to handle, it is often used in laboratory investigations of melting-point depression. Lauric acid is a solid at room temperature but melts easily in boiling water, so liquid lauric acid can be treated with various solutes and used to determine their molecular masses.
Reduction of lauric acid yields 1-dodecanol.
Properties
Physical data
Vapour density: 6.91
Vapour pressure: 1 mm at 121 C
Flash point: >113°C (>235°F)
Stability
Stable. Combustible. Incompatible with bases, oxidizing agents, reducing agents. Although lauric acid will burn, it tends to melt and vaporize unless it is in contact with an oxidizing agent or has been heated extremely quickly.Toxicology
Eye, skin and respiratory irritant.Transport information
Non-hazardous for air, sea and road transport. May cause burns.External links
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