Chengguan District, Lanzhou, Gansu, China sales01@liwei-chem.com 1557459043@qq.com
Follow us:



Octadecanol BP EP USP Pharma Grade: A Commentary

Historical Development

Octadecanol has been present in the pharmaceutical landscape for over a century. Its story stretches back to the early days of industrial chemistry, when researchers first separated fatty alcohols from natural waxes, especially those found in spermaceti and plant oils. By the mid-20th century, advances in fractionation made it possible to reliably produce high-purity long-chain alcohols for use in medicine and cosmetics. Large manufacturers pushed the limits of steam distillation and high-pressure hydrogenation until chemists could deliver pharmaceutical-grade purity that passed ever-tightening regulatory review. Today, pharma grade octadecanol follows strict monographs, familiar to anyone working with BP, EP, or USP-grade materials. These standards grew out of both regulatory evolution and hard-won experience from manufacturers and clinicians concerned about the tiniest trace of impurity changing a product’s performance.

Product Overview

Octadecanol is a straight-chain, 18-carbon fatty alcohol that takes the form of a soft, waxy solid at room temperature. It leaves a characteristic creamy layer when you rub it on your skin. It doesn’t have much taste or odor. In current pharma settings, it brings structure to topical and oral formulations and often steps in as a thickener, emollient, or stabilizer. The grades sold under BP, EP, and USP certification come as white, crystalline flakes or powder and arrive in rigorously sealed, labeled drums to prevent contamination from moisture or air. Most end users work with verified certificates of analysis, which check for not just octadecanol content but unwanted traces of shorter or longer chain fatty alcohols, peroxides, or oxidized byproducts.

Physical & Chemical Properties

At 60 to 61 degrees Celsius, octadecanol melts into a colorless liquid. It has a density hovering around 0.82 g/cm³ at 20 degrees and stays insoluble in water, but it dissolves readily in alcohol, ether, and chloroform. Its molecular formula is C18H38O, which puts it in the family of higher aliphatic alcohols. Anyone mixing up creams or ointments with it gets a pleasant surprise: it imparts a smooth, dense structure to emulsions. This comes from its long hydrophobic chain, which resists mixing with water, yet helps to form stable oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions. Chemically, it resists oxidation under normal storage, though high heat or strong acids will break it down to its parent acid, stearic acid, or generate short-chain aldehydes and ketones. These byproducts feature heavily in impurity testing under pharma monographs.

Technical Specifications & Labeling

Regulatory authorities, such as the British and European Pharmacopoeias and the USP, lay out clear rules for what counts as acceptable pharma-grade octadecanol. Tests cover melting point, acid value, saponification value, identification reactions, and purity by gas chromatography. Purity requirements run north of 98% octadecanol, sometimes higher, with narrow limits for secondary alcohols or related impurities. The labeling requirements help trace every batch from raw material to processing site, batch code, and date, forming an unbroken chain of custody. I’ve seen plenty of clients reject materials on the strength of unclear labels or missing documentation—regulators have no patience for ambiguity. That’s why each drum arrives with heavy-duty tamper-proof seals, and any deviation can kick off a painful investigation into the supply chain.

Preparation Method

The classic route to octadecanol starts with natural fats or oils, often from vegetable sources these days—sustainable palm oil being a top choice. Producers split the triglycerides to harvest stearic acid, which they then hydrogenate under high pressure to yield a mixture of fatty alcohols. Skilled operators use fractionation to separate octadecanol from closely related alcohols, such as hexadecanol or eicosanol. High vacuum and careful temperature control ensure purity, and chromatographic testing helps keep the runs within spec, batch after batch. Industrial synthesis brings a hundred pitfalls, from catalysts losing selectivity to carryover solvent from previous runs, so sharing learnings between production techs matters as much as following a protocol.

Chemical Reactions & Modifications

Octadecanol’s chemical reactivity comes from its hydroxyl group. Chemists have used this functional handle to make esters, ethers, or turn the molecule into quaternary ammonium salts for use as surfactants or emulsifiers. In pharmaceutical manufacturing, minor modifications to the molecule help tweak lipophilicity or introduce targeting ligands. I've seen R&D teams toy with biodegradable conjugates, aiming for controlled-release additives that break down predictably in the body. At the bench scale, octadecanol shines as a starting point for building more complex wax esters or cationic lipids. Watching a team set up a small etherification or oxidation run drives home how reliable the basic C18 structure remains as a platform for change.

Synonyms & Product Names

On manufacturer labels, you’ll find octadecanol listed under several synonyms, including stearyl alcohol, 1-octadecanol, and n-octadecanol. Each name reflects its linear C18 alcohol backbone. In the trade, “stearyl alcohol” forms the most common tag—especially outside analytic circles where the 1-position is usually assumed. The chemical’s CAS number (112-92-5) helps cut through confusion. Suppliers tastefully avoid creating custom brand names for pharma grade, letting buyers stick with official pharmacopoeial designations—something traceability-minded QA teams appreciate.

Safety & Operational Standards

I’ve spent time in rooms with GMP inspectors, and every operational detail matters for pharmaceutical excipients. Stearyl alcohol’s risk profile sits far from hazardous, but dust formation can irritate eyes or lungs and every warehouse needs solid air extraction when dumping large volumes. The main safety risk comes from slips in cleanliness or foreign matter entering the process late in the production run. For years, the industry has insisted on closed-system unloading, food-grade liners, and mechanical transfer whenever possible. This approach cuts down cross-contamination and worker exposure. GHS labeling now steers even low-hazard substances toward pictograms and harmonized wording. Any pharma-grade supplier that wants trust has to mix regulatory compliance with the everyday grind of batch-by-batch safe handling.

Application Area

Pharma-grade octadecanol crops up in a surprisingly wide range of drug products and medical devices. Tablet manufacturers lean on it as a binder and lubrication aid, letting pills press tightly yet release smoothly from their molds. In topical creams and ointments, octadecanol acts as a thickener and skin-conditioning agent, giving finished products a smooth consistency people equate with quality. Suppository makers value its melting range, which helps control drug release and ensures predictable behavior inside the body. Beyond human medicine, veterinary formulations also use it, and I’ve even seen lab veterinarians specify high-purity octadecanol for sensitive animal dosing studies. Its inert nature doesn’t spark allergic reactions: a crucial trait in high-volume OTC skin-care lines.

Research & Development

R&D chemists continue to probe octadecanol’s structure for its ability to stabilize lipid-based nanoparticles and emulsions for novel drug delivery. As the race to improve bioavailability accelerates, there’s growing emphasis on excipients that play well with new active pharmaceuticals without unpredictable side effects. New solid dispersion techniques and self-emulsifying drug delivery systems draw heavily on stearyl alcohol, harnessing its long hydrophobic chain to promote stable, high-load formulations. I sat through a poster session at an AAPS conference where graduate students pitted octadecanol against similar fatty alcohols, seeking the optimal ratio for targeted oral delivery. Research continues to flip old assumptions on their head—each tweak teaches the industry more about the subtle balance between structure and performance.

Toxicity Research

For all its utility, any pharmaceutical excipient must undergo extensive toxicity screening. Authority reviews reach deeper than acute toxicity, tracking chronic exposure, reproductive toxicity, and mutagenicity. Multiple animal studies on stearyl alcohol show low oral and dermal toxicity, with high LD50 values and minimal skin irritation on repeated application. The key issues crop up with impurities, especially if producers skip steps to remove shorter or branched-chain alcohols. Allergic contact dermatitis appears mostly in patients with compromised skin barriers, and regulators have flagged this in patch test registries. The risk remains low, but it stays on QA checklists. Manufacturers invest in continuous impurity profiling, showing a decade-long trend toward ever-cleaner product.

Future Prospects

Looking forward, demand for pharmaceutical-grade octadecanol will expand as excipient standards climb, drug products diversify, and personalized medicine reaches industrial scale. I expect to see smarter lipid formulations, more biodegradable polymers spun from fatty alcohols, and increased use of renewable feedstocks—especially as palm oil certification and carbon-neutral targets hit regulatory crosshairs. Upstream, process automation and real-time impurity monitoring will squeeze out errors that once slipped through. The R&D arms race to design new delivery systems will draw even more from octadecanol’s reliability, inspiring chemists to expand the toolkit while holding tight to core safety and traceability principles. If you watch the direction of regulatory policy and industry R&D, octadecanol’s next chapter will be deeply woven into tomorrow’s pharma world.




What is Octadecanol BP EP USP Pharma Grade used for?

The Unsung Helper in Pharmaceutical Formulations

Octadecanol isn’t a name that takes the spotlight in medical discussions. It doesn’t show up in hospital dramas, and you won’t find it listed on pill bottles next to active ingredients. Yet, walk into any lab working on medications, and you’ll run into octadecanol in one form or another—sometimes in the raw materials closet, sometimes in the testing files, sometimes right under your nose in a beaker. Octadecanol, especially the BP, EP, and USP pharma grades, belongs to the backbone of many modern formulations.

What Octadecanol Brings to the Table

Octadecanol stands out as a long-chain fatty alcohol, often derived from natural fats and oils. Because it’s fatty, it works well as an emollient, helping creams and ointments feel smooth and gentle on skin. Run your fingers across a tube of medicated cream, and that silky texture isn’t just for comfort—it helps spread active compounds evenly. With octadecanol on board, medications like topical steroids or antifungal agents glide onto the skin without feeling greasy or sticky.

Its real talent shines in the tablet world. Making tablets takes more than mixing powder and compressing them. Powders can clump, stick, or crumble. Pharmaceutical-grade octadecanol acts as a lubricant, letting machines spit out clean, whole tablets that hold together in a bottle but break down in the body. Without reliable lubricants and binders like octadecanol, medicines might flake apart or get jammed in industrial equipment. Fewer breakdowns mean less waste. I have seen this in local manufacturing plants—switching to high-purity octadecanol made production lines run smoother and saved downtime that cost thousands in a single shift.

Why Inspecting Grades Matters

If you spend any time in drug development, you learn quickly how tight regulations have become. Not all octadecanol is created equal. The labels BP, EP, and USP point to different standards set in British, European, and United States Pharmacopoeias. These groups make sure what goes into medicine doesn't bring along pesticides, solvents, or other contaminants. Meeting those pharma-grade standards keeps everything safer—it protects patients and keeps companies out of legal hot water.

During a recent audit at a facility, lack of proper documentation for excipient quality almost meant pulling batches off the shelves—each grade serves as a guarantee. It isn’t about red tape for the sake of it. When cross-contamination or impurities slip in, patients risk allergic reactions, which can derail a product and reputation overnight.

Beyond Pills: Application in Cosmetics and Research

The personal care industry, always hungry for ingredients that do more than one job, often turns to octadecanol too. It softens lipsticks, stabilizes sunscreen creams, and lets lotions melt onto your skin. In research labs, it sometimes plays a role in testing skin absorption. The clear, waxy consistency and non-toxicity offer formulators a tool for smoothing out rough patches—literal and figurative—in both drugs and cosmetics.

Room for Improvement

Some challenges still linger. Sourcing sustainable octadecanol matters as much as purity, especially with pressure to cut down on palm oil and support greener supply chains. While alternatives exist, switching sources takes research—and money. I’ve seen teams try plant-based alternatives, but not every option ticks the boxes for stability or function in real-world use. The focus should keep shifting toward greener synthesis routes and better checks on suppliers.

The Takeaway for Industry and Patients

Octadecanol stays mainly behind the scenes, but the safety and reliability of pills, creams, and even beauty products quietly depend on its consistency. For companies, cutting corners on excipients never pays off. For patients, the invisible helpers like octadecanol deserve notice—every time a medicine works as it should, a web of unsung ingredients has played a role. Watching manufacturing processes up close made me deeply appreciate how essential details—right down to a fatty alcohol—are to confidence in what we take and apply.

What are the main specifications or purity standards of Octadecanol BP EP USP Pharma Grade?

Strength in Numbers: Understanding Pharma Grade

Octadecanol plays a unique role in the pharmaceutical world. Those who have ever worked in a lab or supported a regulatory submission know how seriously purity standards get taken. Any deviation can mean compromised safety or wasted effort. Pharma grade specifications are not just about ticking regulatory boxes—they're essential for protecting patients and delivering consistent results in every batch, every time.

BP (British Pharmacopoeia), EP (European Pharmacopoeia), and USP (United States Pharmacopeia) standards remain the gold standard for judging a batch of Octadecanol's fitness for use in medications. Across these pharmacopeias, the numbers tell the story. You’ll see minimum purity levels >98 or 99 percent, calculated on the dried substance. This isn’t about going above and beyond; it’s about meeting the baseline for safe use in anything that winds up inside or on a person’s body.

Purity: Why the Details Matter

High-purity Octadecanol looks almost like a simple, waxy solid. On the paperwork, though, every number is scrutinized by QC teams and auditors. Water content must sit below a tight maximum, usually below 0.5%. Loss on drying needs to meet another cutoff, because too much retained moisture can create instability or foster contamination. Pharmacopoeias also require a close look at the acid value. Octadecanol shouldn’t have free acids lurking in there—so labs watch for a reading below about 0.1 mg KOH/g.

Melting point delivers yet another indicator. If your Octadecanol refuses to melt between about 58°C and 62°C, it probably isn’t what it claims to be. I remember days in R&D chasing out-of-spec melts and learning just how quickly one shipment can foul up a formulation or trigger a recall.

Specific Standards Worth Knowing

Organic impurities receive careful attention. Pharmacopoeias spell out not only maximum allowable levels—even small traces of other long-chain alcohols can trigger a failed lot—but demand identification if they find something new. The substance’s identity as C18H38O isn’t taken on faith: labs check with IR spectra. Even color matters. A faint yellow or off-white color is a red flag, possibly pointing to breakdown products or contamination.

Residue on ignition (ash) tells us about inorganic contaminants. Pharma specs set this limit low, generally below 0.1%. Heavy metals pose a health risk and must sit below set fractions of a part per million. The finer details change from one country’s rules to the next, but the monitoring is relentless everywhere.

Learning From the Trenches: Vigilance Pays

In my own experience, passing the release tests isn’t a guarantee that a batch will perform over time. Storage conditions, temperature swings, packing materials—each one affects stability. No pharma company risks cutting corners here. We learned quickly that even a small deviation could cascade into problems months later, affecting clinical trial results or creating toxic byproducts nobody saw coming. So, the habit of checking identity, purity, melting point, and impurities turns from a regulatory “must” to just good practice—protecting patients, companies, and the reputation of the entire supply chain.

Building Trust: Solutions for Industry

Routine batch testing by certified labs provides a stopgap against problems, yet the story doesn’t stop at the test report. Good companies invest in supplier audits, raw material traceability, and transparent documentation. Storage and transport demand just as much thinking—sealed packaging, climate controls, rapid distribution after release. If you control the details upstream, you can spare yourself the headache and heartache downstream. In regulated industries, trust builds not just on numbers but on the daily rituals of vigilance and transparency.

Is Octadecanol BP EP USP Pharma Grade safe for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications?

Understanding Octadecanol

Octadecanol shows up in both the cosmetics aisle and in pharmaceutical labs more often than most people realize. You might see it on an ingredient list as stearyl alcohol. While the word “alcohol” puts some folks on edge, octadecanol works differently from the kind you might find in hand sanitizer or drinks. This long-chain fatty alcohol features a waxy texture and plays a big role in creams, ointments, tablets, and lotions.

Expectations for Quality and Safety

Pharma grade octadecanol earns its credential by meeting strict quality controls set by big standards organizations, including BP (British Pharmacopoeia), EP (European Pharmacopoeia), and USP (United States Pharmacopeia). These organizations check for contaminants, purity, and other factors that could cause harm if someone uses the product regularly. For example, each batch must show low levels of impurities, such as heavy metals and pesticides, before it ships out for use.

Regulators also keep an eye out for traces of allergens and manufacturing byproducts. They want to avoid irritation, allergic reactions, or toxic effects. In my work with product developers, I’ve seen companies spend huge resources testing for microbiological contamination. These extra steps make a difference and offer peace of mind.

What the Facts Tell Us

Over years of use, stearyl alcohol and octadecanol have built reputations as safe ingredients, both topically and orally when processed to pharmaceutical or cosmetic standards. Multiple safety reviews, including studies published in journals connected with the US Food & Drug Administration and Health Canada, support this safety profile. In rare cases, like with any ingredient, sensitive individuals might experience mild skin irritation, especially when products contain high concentrations or mix with harsh additives. People prone to allergies, such as those with eczema, could benefit from patch tests or consulting healthcare professionals before regular use.

Pharmacists trust octadecanol for tablets, too. Its waxy nature helps with shaping, coating, and protecting medications. That job does not come from any guesswork—a 2022 review in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics highlighted the stability and usefulness of octadecanol for oral solid dosage forms. As with all excipients and actives, precise manufacturing and sourcing remain non-negotiable for safety.

Responsible Use Calls for Vigilance

People deserve confidence in what they apply to their bodies or swallow as medicine. Transparency matters. Companies should publish Certificates of Analysis, batch results, and sources, so professionals and consumers can judge quality. Open communication between manufacturers, regulators, and users helps catch risks and close loopholes before problems happen. In my experience, smaller companies sometimes cut corners or choose cheaper grades to save costs, which risks both safety and trust.

What Can Be Improved?

Oversight and regular audits play important roles. Global collaboration between regulatory agencies helps ensure that a pharma grade in one country matches expectations overseas. Sustainable and ethical sourcing deserve more focus, too, since the environmental cost of producing fatty alcohols from palm or coconut oil can remain high if unchecked.

Scientists, healthcare workers, and cosmetic developers should keep sharing findings and side effect reports with each other. Even with a strong safety record, vigilance does not end. Safe today does not guarantee safe forever, especially as we learn more about allergies and sensitivities.

Octadecanol remains a reliable and important ingredient across both pharmaceutical and cosmetic fields. With careful, transparent handling and real attention to quality at every step, its continued use stands on solid ground.

How should Octadecanol BP EP USP Pharma Grade be stored and handled?

A Direct Look at Octadecanol Storage

Octadecanol BP EP USP runs through the veins of the pharmaceutical supply chain as a crucial excipient and processing aid. Understanding how this ingredient behaves helps anyone working with it keep operations safe and product quality intact. By keeping things simple and respectful of the science, we avoid crises before they even start.

Anyone who has worked in a pharmacy lab or a formulation facility knows that temperature swings can do a number on even the sturdiest raw materials. With octadecanol, extreme heat or cold makes it clump, melt, or even degrade. Keeping the material in a dry, cool warehouse—out of direct sunlight and away from heating vents—stops these problems from showing up. Racks off the floor to prevent water absorption make sense. A temperature range between 15°C and 25°C has always worked for me and aligns with established best practices.

Safety Is Never Overrated

Open a container of octadecanol, and you’ll notice it has little odor, but dust can rise if it’s powdered. This isn’t just a housekeeping concern; repeated exposure to dust triggers respiratory irritation and makes the whole operation messy. I’ve seen companies cut down on accidents by using personal protective equipment, covering skin, and wearing gloves and goggles.

Common sense goes a long way here. Dedicated work surfaces, closed storage bins, and low-dust transfer methods make a difference. I recall an instance where storage bins without proper sealing let condensation slip in, turning parts of the powder cakey and unusable. It’s better to invest in high-quality containers with airtight lids and to check seals regularly instead of writing off spoiled product.

Labeling and Segregation Matter More Than Expected

Good labeling isn’t just regulatory paperwork. In a fast-moving facility, labels make identification easy and mistakes less likely. Octadecanol should sit apart from incompatible materials like oxidizing agents or acids. I’ve learned the tough way that a little chemical cross-contamination can lead to failed batches and hours of root-cause analysis. Keeping things organized lowers those risks and builds trust with auditors.

Prevention Beats Cleanup

Small spills can snowball into large-scale contamination. Staff should have easy access to cleaning materials and understand the process for containing and removing any residue before it spreads. Posting clear instructions where materials are handled and storing cleaning gear within easy reach speeds up response time. Routine cleaning schedules based on actual material movement also keep everyone on their toes.

Training and Documentation Close the Loop

No policy works without people behind it. Regular training, walk-through inspections, and real-time feedback keep handling standards high. Staff should get hands-on demonstrations, not just handouts, covering everything from scooping excipients to measuring out larger amounts for production. Recording every step builds a library of experience and supports traceability in case something goes off plan.

Following these straightforward techniques, driven by real-world experience and plenty of shared wisdom, keeps octadecanol safe and fit for pharmaceutical use. Doing the job right strengthens product integrity, boosts worker safety, and meets the highest expectations for quality and compliance.

Is Octadecanol BP EP USP Pharma Grade available with necessary regulatory documentation like COA and MSDS?

Pharma Grade Octadecanol: What Every Buyer Checks

Octadecanol rolls into the pharmaceutical supply chain with plenty of practical uses, from excipients to emollients. Laboratories and production facilities depend on pharmaceutical grade octadecanol to ensure formulas meet safety and purity expectations. As someone who has had a hand in technical sourcing, missing paperwork can make or break a deal. Most buyers know it’s more than just achieving the right chemical structure. Without documentation proving compliance and safety, even top-tier material won't get through the front door of many regulated industries.

COA and MSDS—The Trade’s Gatekeepers

Today, few deals move forward without documentation like the Certificate of Analysis (COA) and Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). COAs show exact test results for each batch, covering items like purity, moisture content, and residue levels. The MSDS gives essential information on handling, storage, first aid, and accidental spill steps. Both of these pieces keep regulators satisfied and reassure quality control teams. My experience says that most suppliers claiming BP, EP, or USP grading for octadecanol realize they have to provide this paperwork or risk being overlooked by pharmaceutical buyers.

Country Standards and Real-World Requirements

Walking into a new facility, I’ve seen how local rules decide what counts as acceptable documentation. A pharma buyer in Europe will want to see compliance with the European Pharmacopoeia (EP), while a company supplying the US needs USP documents. If you're stocking up for manufacturing in India or the Middle East, British Pharmacopoeia (BP) paperwork often gets pushed to the top of the inbox. Requesting supporting data – like batch numbers matching what’s on the barrel – keeps things honest and prevents mix-ups.

Traceability and Trust: Lessons from the Field

I remember sorting through shipments that looked perfect, only to find mismatched batch codes or missing pages. Delays followed, sometimes pushing production lines to a halt out of pure caution. In these moments, real cost emerges—not in paperwork, but in lost hours. Once, a missing MSDS delayed a release by days as teams scrambled to track down back copies. Mistakes like this leave scars, and most buyers get very cautious after the first incident.

Expectations From Top-Quality Suppliers

The companies I trusted delivered complete packets: COA, MSDS, and sometimes even third-party verification. Top names in the field send advance emails so files can be crosschecked before deliveries ever reach the warehouse door. Only suppliers who maintain compliance get repeat orders. Auditors expect to see signed, stamped, and detailed analysis sheets. If any discrepancies show up, quality assurance can track problems fast, protecting the end product and, by extension, the end user.

Closing the Documentation Gap

Some smaller suppliers in emerging markets have struggled to keep up with big players. They often ask buyers to wait while they prepare or translate paperwork. To bridge this gap, buyers sometimes ask for verified English versions, electronic signatures, or even QR code-linked COAs. Simple steps like using a document management system make a lasting difference. Manufacturers that don’t take these extra checks seriously risk falling behind or getting flagged by regulators. Nobody wants to see a recall or regulatory penalty tied back to sloppy paperwork.

Practical Steps for Buyers and Sellers

From firsthand experience, clear communication starts the process. The first inquiry should spell out the exact documentation needed: COA, MSDS, pharmacopoeia standard, and batch trace data. Both sides keep a digital trail from the first quote to the final shipment. If a supplier can’t provide documents, it’s often best to look elsewhere. After years in sourcing, I’ve stopped considering offers where paperwork seems like an afterthought. In regulated pharma sectors, documentation isn’t a side job—it’s a cornerstone of secure, repeatable business.

Octadecanol BP EP USP Pharma Grade
Names
Preferred IUPAC name octadecan-1-ol
Other names Stearyl alcohol
1-Octadecanol
Octadecyl alcohol
Pronunciation /ɒkˈteɪ.də.kə.nɒl/
Identifiers
CAS Number 112-92-5
3D model (JSmol) `"CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCO"`
Beilstein Reference 1721585
ChEBI CHEBI:27257
ChEMBL CHEMBL14276
ChemSpider 64872
DrugBank DB14172
ECHA InfoCard EC Number 203-820-9
EC Number 200-911-5
Gmelin Reference 7146
KEGG C08281
MeSH D000066
PubChem CID 8221
RTECS number UJ8750000
UNII 3M9DD0108Y
UN number UN 2810
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) DTXSID2020776
Properties
Chemical formula C18H38O
Molar mass 270.49 g/mol
Appearance White waxy solid
Odor Odorless
Density 0.812 g/cm3
Solubility in water Insoluble in water
log P 7.6
Vapor pressure < 0.01 hPa (20°C)
Acidity (pKa) 16
Basicity (pKb) 15.6
Refractive index (nD) 1.430 - 1.433
Viscosity Viscosity: 28.6 mPa.s (at 100°C)
Dipole moment 1.770 D
Thermochemistry
Std molar entropy (S⦵298) 506.5 J·mol⁻¹·K⁻¹
Std enthalpy of formation (ΔfH⦵298) -481.8 kJ/mol
Std enthalpy of combustion (ΔcH⦵298) -11300 kJ/mol
Pharmacology
ATC code A04AD тұр
Hazards
Main hazards May cause eye and skin irritation.
GHS labelling GHS labelling: "Not a hazardous substance or mixture according to the Globally Harmonized System (GHS).
Pictograms GHS07,GHS08
Signal word Warning
Hazard statements No hazard statement.
Precautionary statements Keep container tightly closed. Store in a cool, dry place. Avoid contact with eyes, skin, and clothing. Wash thoroughly after handling. Use personal protective equipment as required. In case of inadequate ventilation, wear respiratory protection.
NFPA 704 (fire diamond) 1-1-0
Flash point > 210°C
Autoignition temperature 210°C
Lethal dose or concentration LD50 (oral, rat): > 20,000 mg/kg
LD50 (median dose) > LD50 (median dose): 36000 mg/kg (rat, oral)
NIOSH NA
PEL (Permissible) PEL (Permissible Exposure Limit) for Octadecanol BP EP USP Pharma Grade: Not established.
REL (Recommended) 10 mg/m³
IDLH (Immediate danger) Not established
Related compounds
Related compounds Stearyl alcohol
Cetyl alcohol
Oleyl alcohol
Behenyl alcohol
Lauryl alcohol