Question #498cf
1 Answer
Mar 31, 2016
Only very sparingly (I assume you mean "ethanol"?).
Explanation:
Solubility in either water or ethanol is very low. Stearic acid is a C18 based carboxylic acid, and with such a long non-polar hydrocarbon "tail" it has very limited solubility in polar solvents.
Typical solubility of stearic acid in water is 0.3 g of stearic acid per litre of water at 25 celcius.
Solubility in ethanol is slightly higher, typically around 20 g of stearic acid per litre of water at 25 celcius.
