PALMITIC

ACID  , n- HExADECYLIc ACID, CH3(CH2)14CO2H, an organic acid found as a glyceride, palmitin, in all animal fats, and partly as glyceride and partly uncombined in palm oil . The cetyl ester is spermaceti, and the myricyl ester is largely present in beeswax . It is most conveniently obtained from olive oil, after removal of the oleic acid (q.v.), or from Japanese beeswax, which is its glyceride . Artificially it may be prepared by heating cetyl alcohol with soda lime to 270 or by fusing oleic acid with potassium hydrate .