Ethyl palmitate is an
organic compound
In chemistry, organic compounds are generally any chemical compounds that contain carbon- hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds. Due to carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms), millions of organic compounds are known. Th ...
with the
chemical formula
In chemistry, a chemical formula is a way of presenting information about the chemical proportions of atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound or molecule, using chemical element symbols, numbers, and sometimes also other symbols, ...
C
18H
36O
2. It is a colorless solid with a wax-like odor. Chemically, ethyl palmitate is the
ethyl ester
In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an oxoacid (organic or inorganic) in which at least one hydroxyl group () is replaced by an alkoxy group (), as in the substitution reaction of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. Glycerides ...
of
palmitic acid
Palmitic acid (hexadecanoic acid in IUPAC nomenclature) is a fatty acid with a 16-carbon chain. It is the most common saturated fatty acid found in animals, plants and microorganisms.Gunstone, F. D., John L. Harwood, and Albert J. Dijkstra. The ...
.
Ethyl hexadecanoate is produced in aged
whiskey
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden c ...
, and is sometimes removed from the final product via
chill filtering
Chill filtering is a method in whisky making for removing residue. In chill filtering, whisky is cooled to between and passed through a fine adsorption filter. This is done mostly for cosmetic reasons — to remove cloudiness — however ...
.
Ethyl palmitate is used as a hair- and skin-conditioning agent.
References
Ethyl esters
Palmitate esters
{{ester-stub