| Lauric acid | |
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| IUPAC name | dodecanoic acid |
| Other names | n-Dodecanoic acid; Dodecylic acid; Dodecoic acid;
Laurostearic acid; Vulvic acid; 1-Undecanecarboxylic acid; Duodecylic acid; |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | [143-07-7] |
| PubChem | |
| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | C12H24O2 or CH3(CH2)10COOH |
| Molar mass | 200.31776 |
| Density | 0.880 g/cm³ |
| Melting point |
44-46 °C |
| Boiling point |
298.9 °C |
| Solubility in water | insoluble in water |
| Viscosity | 7.30 mPa-s at 323 K |
| Hazards | |
| Flash point | ≥ 110 °C |
| Related compounds | |
| Related compounds | Glyceryl laurate |
| Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Infobox references |
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Lauric acid (systematically: dodecanoic acid), a saturated fatty acid, is a white, powdery solid with a faint odor of bay oil or soap.
Contents |
Lauric acid is the main acid in coconut oil and in palm kernel oil (not to be confused with palm oil), and is believed to have antimicrobial properties.[1][2][3] It is also found in human milk (5.8% of total fat), cow's milk (2.2%), and goat's milk (4.5%).[citation needed]
Lauric acid is inexpensive, has a long shelf-life, and is non-toxic and safe to handle. Thus, 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.[citation needed]
Lauric acid is able to raise metabolism, believed to be due to its activation of 20% of thyroidal hormones, which otherwise lie dormant.[citation needed] This is supposed from lauric acid's release of enzymes in the intestinal tract which activate the thyroid.[citation needed] This could account the metabolism-raising properties of coconut oil.
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