Magnesium stearate

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Magnesium stearate
Systematic name Magnesium stearate
Chemical formula C36H70MgO4
Molecular mass 591.27 g/mol
Melting point 88 °C
Boiling point  ? °C
CAS number [557-04-0]
SMILES CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC(=O)[O-].
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC(=O)[O-].[Mg+2]
Disclaimer and references

Magnesium stearate, also called octadecanoic acid, magnesium salt, is a white substance which is solid at room temperature. It has the chemical formula C36H70MgO4. It is a salt containing two equivalents of stearate (the anion of stearic acid) and one magnesium cation (Mg2+). Magnesium stearate melts at about 88 °C, is not soluble in water, and is generally considered safe for human consumption. Because it is widely regarded as harmless, it is often used as a filling agent in the manufacture of medical tablets and capsules. In this regard, the substance is also useful because it has lubricating properties, preventing ingredients from sticking to manufacturing equipment during the compression of chemical powders into solid tablets. It is also a common ingredient in baby powders. In pure powder form, the substance can be a dust explosion hazard, although this issue is effectively moot beyond the manufacturing plants using it.

When used as a filling agent in the manufacture of capsules and tablets, such as vitamins, the source of this ingredient is typically beef. However, there is an increasing number of vegetarian options in which the product specifically indicates it contains magnesium stearate from vegetable sources.


 This article about an organic compound is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
 This inorganic compound-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../m/a/g/Magnesium_stearate.html"
Advanced Search
Included Web Search Engines


Safe Search

close

Top Matching Results

Occasionally Search.com will highlight specialized results that are based on the context of your query. Examples of specialized results include specific links to news, images, or video.

Top Matching Results may highlight information from other Search.com pages, content from the CNET Network of sites, or third party content. The listings are based purely on relevance. Search.com does not receive payment for listings in this section but our partners that provide this data may get paid for listing these products.

Sponsored Links

This section contains paid listings which have been purchased by companies that want to have their sites appear for specific search terms and related content. These listings are administered, sorted and maintained by a third party and are not endorsed by Search.com.

Search Results

Search.com sends your search query to several search engines at one time and integrates the results into one list which has been sorted by relevance using Search.com's proprietary algorithm. You can customize the list of search engines included in your metasearch from the preferences.

The search engines that are used in your metasearch may allow companies to pay to have their Web sites included within the results. To view the Paid Inclusion policy for a specific search engine, please visit their Web site. Search.com does not accept payment or share revenue with any search engine partner for listings in this section.