LAURYL ALCOHOL (DODECANOL)

Linear Formula: CH3(CH2)11OH
EC Number:203-982-0
Formula: C12H26O
Molar mass: 186.34 g / mol
Boiling point: 259 ° C
Density: 831 kg / m³
Melting point: 24 ° C (75 ° F; 297 K)
Burning point: 127 ° C (261 ° F; 400 K)

Lauryl alcohol is used to produce surfactants, lubricant oils and pharmaceuticals.

A compound that, depending upon purity, is either a crystalline solid or colorless liquid, C12H26O, obtained by the reduction of fatty acids of coconut oil: used chiefly in the  manufacture of synthetic detergents.

Dodecanol, also known by its IUPAC name 1-dodecanol or dodecan-1-ol, and by its trivial name dodecyl alcohol and lauryl alcohol, is a fatty alcohol. Dodecanol is a colourless, water insoluble solid of melting point 24 degree centigrade and boiling point 259 degree centigrade. It has a floral odor. It can be obtained from palm kernel or coconut oil fatty acids and methyl esters by reduction.

In 1993, the European demand of dodecanol was around 60 thousand tons per year. It can be obtained from palm kernel or coconut oil fatty acids and methyl esters by hydrogenation It  may also be produced synthetically via the Ziegler process. A classic laboratory method involves Bouveault-Blanc reduction of ethyl laurate.Dodecanol is used to make surfactants,  lubricating oils, pharmaceuticals, in the formation of monolithic polymers and as a flavor enhancing food additive. In cosmetics, dodecanol is used as an emollient.  It is also the precursor to dodecanal, an important fragrance, and 1-bromododecane, an alkylating agent for improving the lipophilicity of organic molecules.

Lauryl alcohol can irritate the skin. It has about half the toxicity of ethanol, but it is very harmful to marine organisms.

Common harmless alcohols include cetyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol, lauryl alcohol and stearyl alcohol, among others. Below is a list of astringent alcohols frequently used in skincare products. They may have drying and irritating effects on the skin depending on the amount included in the product

Dodecanol , or lauryl alcohol, is an organic compound produced industrially from palm kernel oil or coconut oil. It is a fatty alcohol. Sulfate esters of lauryl alcohol, especially  sodium lauryl sulfate, are very widely used as surfactants. ... Lauryl alcohol is tasteless and colorless with a floral odor.

Dodecanol , or lauryl alcohol,  is a fatty alcohol. Sulfate esters of lauryl alcohol, especially sodium lauryl sulfate, are very widely used as surfactants.

Dodecanol is considered to be a fatty alcohol lipid molecule. Dodecanol is practically insoluble (in water) and an extremely weak acidic compound (based on its pKa). Dodecanol can be synthesized from dodecane. Dodecanol can also be synthesized into lauryl palmitoleate and dodecyl palmitate.

Ethoxylated alcohol has multiple industrial uses and applications including:CASE: Use Lauryl Alcohol Ethoxylate as a wetting agent to reduce the surface tension in liquids, and as  an emulsifier in paints and coatings to promote dispersion.Personal Care: Lauryl Alcohol Ethoxylate works extremely well as a foaming agent in personal care products such as shampoos and bath gels.Soaps and Detergents: Lauryl Alcohol serves as a reliable wetting agent in a wide range of industrial and household cleaning products including detergents, laundry pre-spotters and hard surface cleaners.Surfactants and Esters: You can use Lauryl Alcohol as a surfactant intermediate — it can also be sulfonated to make SLES (Sodium Lauryl 
Ether Sulfate), an anionic surfactant and detergent used in the manufacturing of many personal care products.Textiles: Use Lauryl Alcohol Ethoxylate as a wetting agent in textile  and leather processing applications to reduce surface tension.

Lauryl Alcohol Ethoxylate should be used with extreme caution. It is harmful if ingested and also poses a hazard to aquatic life. It is also likely to cause irritation when coming in  contact with the eyes or skin. The product should be stored in a closed container in an area with a temperature ranging from 30-40° C.

Fatty alcohols, derived from natural fats and oils, are high molecular straight chain primary alcohols. They include lauryl (C12), MyrIstyl (C14), Cetyl ( or palmityl: C16), stearyl (C18), Oleyl (C18, unsaturated), and Linoleyl (C18, polyunsaturated) alcohols. There are synthetic fatty alcohols equivalent physically and chemically to natural alcohols obtained from  oleochemical sources such as coconut and palm kernel oil. Fatty alcohols are emulsifiers and emollients to make skin smoother and prevent moisture loss. Identical fatty esters are used to improve rub-out of formulas and to control viscosity and dispersion characteristics in cosmetics, personal care products and pharmaceutical ingredients. As chemical intermediates,  the primary use of fatty alcohols are as raw material for the production of fatty sulfate salts and alcohol ethoxylates for foaming and cleaning purposes in the field of detergent industry. Chemical reactions of primary alcohols include esterifications, ethoxylation, sulfation, oxidation and many other reactions. Their derivatives and end use applications include;

Nonionic surfactants (Ethoxylates and propoxylates)
Anionic surfactants (Alkyl sulfates and alkyl ethoxy sulfates)
Chemical intermediates and  polymerization modifiers (Alkyl halides, Alkyl mercaptans)
Quaternary ammonium compounds for detergent sanitisers, softner for textiles, phase transfer catalyst and biocides
Antioxidants for plastics (Alkyl thiopropionates and alkyl phosphites)
Lubricant additives (Metallic and thio alkylphosphates)
Flavor and Fragrance (Aldehydes and ketones)
PVC plasticizers (Dialkyl Phthalates, adipates and trimellitates)
Coatings and inks (acrylate and methacrylate esters)
Water treatment (acrylate and methacrylate esters)

Large amount of fatty alcohols are used as special solvents, fillers in plasticizer and insulating materials for the building industry. Fatty alcohols are used as ingredients in the industries of agricultural, foodstuff, metal processing, cosmetics, lube additive, pharmaceutical, rubber, textile, perfume and flavouring as well as synthetic detergent.

Fatty Acids are aliphatic carboxylic acid with varying hydrocarbon lengths at one end of the chain joined to terminal carboxyl (-COOH) group at the other end. The general formula is R-(CH2) n-COOH. Fatty acids are predominantly unbranched and those with even numbers of carbon atoms between 12 and 22 carbons long react with glycerol to form lipids (fat-soluble components of 
living cells) in plants, animals, and microorganisms. Fatty acids all have common names respectively lilk lauric (C12), MyrIstic (C14), palmitic (C16), stearic (C18), oleic (C18, unsaturated), and linoleic (C18, polyunsaturated) acids. The saturated fatty acids have no solid bonds, while oleic acid is an unsaturated fatty acid has one solid bond (also described as olefinic) and polyunsaturated fatty acids like linolenic acid contain two or more solid bonds. Lauric acid (also called Dodecanoic acid) is the main acid in coconut oil (45 - 50 percent) and palm  kernel oil (45 - 55 percent). Nutmeg butter is rich in myristic acid (also called Tetradecanoic acid ) which constitutes 60-75 percent of the fatty-acid content. Palmitic acid(also called  Hexadecylic acid ) constitutes between 20 and 30 percent of most animal fats and is also an important constituent of most vegetable fats (35 - 45 percent of palm oil). Stearic acid ( als called Octadecanoic Acid)  is nature's most common long-chain fatty acids, derived from animal and vegetable fats. It is widely used as a lubricant and as an additive in industrial  preparations. It is used in the manufacture of metallic stearates, pharmaceuticals, soaps, cosmetics, and food packaging. It is also used as a softener, accelerator activator and  dispersing agent in rubbers. Oleic acid (systematic chemical name is cis-octadec-9-enoic acid) is the most abundant of the unsaturated fatty acids in nature.