lipidialkoholit

Lipidialkoholit (commonly known in English as fatty alcohols) are long-chain aliphatic alcohols derived from natural fats, oils or petrochemical feedstocks. Chemically they are typically primary alcohols with carbon chain lengths from about C8 to C30; common examples include lauryl (C12), myristyl (C14), cetyl (C16) and stearyl (C18) alcohol.

They are produced industrially by hydrogenation of fatty acids or esters extracted from plant and animal fats, or by synthetic routes such as oxo synthesis and Ziegler processes. Physically they are waxy solids or viscous liquids, insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents; melting and boiling points rise with chain length.

Lipidialkoholit have wide applications in detergents, personal care products and industrial formulations. They serve as emollients, thickeners, nonionic surfactants (after ethoxylation), and intermediates for sulfate or ether surfactants. In cosmetics they improve texture and stability, and in chemical manufacturing they are precursors for esters, waxes and lubricants.

Toxicological profiles are generally favourable: many fatty alcohols are of low acute toxicity and are biodegradable, though formulation-specific impurities and sourcing (e.g., palm-derived feedstocks) raise environmental and sustainability considerations. Regulatory assessment depends on chain length, purity and use context, and safety data are provided for specific substances rather than the class as a whole.