The key difference between cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol is that cetyl alcohol has 16 carbon atoms, whereas stearyl alcohol has 18 carbon atoms.
The name cetyl alcohol originates from its first source: sperm whale oil. The Latin term for whale oil is Cetus. However, modern production uses palmitic oil as the source of cetyl alcohol. Stearyl alcohol, on the other hand, is produced from stearic acid. Both are fatty alcohols.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Cetyl Alcohol
3. What is Stearyl Alcohol
4. Side by Side Comparison – Cetyl Alcohol vs Stearyl Alcohol in Tabular Form
5. Summary
What is Cetyl Alcohol?
Cetyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol containing 16 carbon atoms per molecule. The IUPAC name of this compound is hexadecane-1-ol. The chemical formula of this compound is CH3(CH2)15OH. At normal room temperature, this compound exists as a waxy white solid. Sometimes it occurs as flakes. Furthermore, this compound has a very faint odour as well.
Figure 01:Chemical Structure of Cetyl Alcohol
The name of this compound is derived from whale oil because the Latin name for the whale is Cetus. It is because the first source of this alcohol was whale oil. Modern production involves the reduction of palmitic acid. Here, the palmitic acid comes from palm oil.
Concerning the usage, cetyl alcohol is important as an opacifier for shampoo, as an ingredient in the cosmetic industry, as an emulsifier, as a thickening agent, etc.
What is Stearyl Alcohol?
Stearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol having 18 carbon atoms per molecule. The name stearyl is derived from its source, stearic acid. The chemical formula of this compound can be given as CH3(CH2)16CH2OH. Further, this compound exists as white granules or as flakes. Moreover, this compound is water-insoluble.
Figure 02: Chemical Structure of Stearyl alcohol
When considering the uses of this compound, it is important as an ingredient in lubricants, resins, perfumes, etc. We can also use it as an emulsifier and a thickening agent in the production of ointments. Catalytic hydrogenation of stearic acid is the process we use for the production process of stearyl alcohol. Since we use stearic acid for this, stearyl alcohol has low toxicity.
What is the Difference Between Cetyl Alcohol and Stearyl Alcohol?
Both cetyl alcohol and Stearyl alcohol are fatty alcohols. The key difference between cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol is that the cetyl alcohol has 16 carbon atoms, but the stearyl alcohol has 18 carbon atoms. The chemical formula of cetyl alcohol is CH3(CH2)15OH while the chemical formula of stearyl alcohol can be given as CH3(CH2)16CH2OH. The IUPAC name of cetyl alcohol is hexadecane-1-ol while for stearyl alcohol it is octadecan-1-ol.
Generally, cetyl alcohol exists as a white waxy solid while stearyl alcohol exists as white granules or flakes. So, we can consider the appearance as a further difference between cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. Furthermore, the name of cetyl alcohol is derived from its early source, whale oil. The name of stearyl alcohol is derived from its source, stearic acid.
When considering the production processes, production of cetyl alcohol involves the reduction of palmitic acid while the production, of stearyl alcohol involves catalytic hydrogenation of stearic acid. Moreover, cetyl alcohol is useful in the industries as an opacifier for shampoo, as an ingredient in the cosmetic industry, as an emulsifier, as a thickening agent, etc. Stearyl alcohol, on the other hand, is important as an ingredient in lubricants, resins, perfumes, etc. Moreover, we can use it as an emulsifier and a thickening agent in the production of ointments.
Below is a tabulation indicating the difference between cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol.
Summary – Cetyl Alcohol vs Stearyl Alcohol
Both cetyl alcohol and Stearyl alcohol are fatty alcohols. The key difference between cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol is that cetyl alcohol has 16 carbon atoms, whereas stearyl alcohol has 18 carbon atoms. Therefore, the IUPAC name of cetyl alcohol is hexadecan-1-ol. The IUPAC name of stearyl alcohol is octadecan-1-ol.
Reference:
1. “Stearyl Alcohol.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Aug. 2019, Available here.
2. “Cetyl Alcohol.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Sept. 2019, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Cetyl alcohol structure” By Хорев Сергей – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “1-Octadecanol” By Krakatit – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia