Myristic acid

Tetradecanoic

White scales with a characteristic odor

Fixed

0.86 g · cm -3 ( 54 ° C)

54-55 ° C

326 ° C

7.0 x 10-5 Pa ( 298 K)

• Insoluble in water
• Soluble in diethyl ether, benzene, chloroform and ethanol

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Myristic acid, and tetradecanoic acid, is a saturated fat and carboxylic acid. It is derived from alkane n- tetradecane. Its salts and esters hot Myristate or tetradecanoate.

In combined form as the triglyceride is contained in most plant- and animal fats, such as in coconut oil (18-21 %), palm kernel oil (15-17 %), babassu oil (15-18 %), whale oil (4-10 %) and butterfat (8-14 %). In a particularly great extent they are found in nutmeg butter, hence the name myristic acid ( nutmeg, Myristica fragrans Latin ). It is insoluble in water, but in alcohols, ether and acetone. Fatty acid as it is widely used in the manufacture of soaps and fatty alcohols.