- published: 28 Jan 2014
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Stearin ( /ˈstɪərɨn/), or tristearin, or glyceryl tristearate is a triglyceride derived from three units of stearic acid. Most triglycerides are derived from at least two and more commonly three different fatty acids. Like other triglycerides, stearin can crystallise in three polymorphs. For stearin, these melt at 54.5, 65, and 73 °C.
Stearin is obtained derived from animal fats created as a byproduct of processing beef. in It can also be found in tropical plants such as palm. It can be partially purified by "dry fractonation" by pressing tallow or other fatty mixtures, leading to separation of the higher melting stearin-rich material from the liquid, which is typically enriched in fats derived from oleic acid. It can be obtained by "interesterification," again exploiting its higher melting point which allows the higher melting tristearin to be removed from the equilibrated mixture. Stearin is a side product obtained during the extraction of cod liver oil removed during the chilling process at temperatures below −5 °C.