Stearic acid (first syllable pronounced either steer or stair) is the saturated fatty acid with an 18 carbon chain and has the IUPAC name octadecanoic acid. It is a waxy solid, and its chemical formula is C18H36O2, or CH3(CH2)16COOH. Its name comes from the Greek word στ?αρ ("stéar"; genitive: "stéatos"), which means tallow. The salts and esters of stearic acid are called stearates.
