Description of Lithium stearate :
Lithium stearate is an organic compound with the chemical formula LiSt and is a white powder at room temperature. It is highly lipophilic and can form high light transmittance at low concentrations. This compound is slightly soluble in water at room temperature and readily soluble in organic solvents such as ethanol and acetone. Lithium stearate has a high melting point and flash point, making it stable at high temperatures and has good thermal safety. In addition, lithium stearate has good chemical stability and has a certain resistance to acids, bases, oxidants and reducing agents. Lithium stearate is less toxic but still needs to be handled with caution. Excessive intake of lithium stearate may cause diarrhoea, vomiting and difficulty breathing. Prolonged exposure to lithium stearate may cause skin and eye irritation, so gloves and goggles should be worn during operation.
Application of Lithium stearate :
Surfactant: Lithium stearate is used as a surfactant and lubricant in personal care products such as soaps, shampoos, body washes and cosmetics. It has good hydrolysis stability and excellent foam properties, providing a clean and gentle washing experience.
Polymer synthesis: Lithium stearate plays an important role in polymer synthesis. It can be used as a donor of stearate and participate in forming polymer chains. These polymers can make plastics, rubber fibres, etc., with good mechanical properties and chemical stability.
Cosmetic formulations: Lithium stearate is often used as a softener and moisturizer. It helps to enhance the moisturization and skin feel of the product, making the skin smoother and softer. In addition, lithium stearate also has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that help improve skin problems.
Paints and coatings: Lithium stearate is used as a thickener and levelling agent in paints and coatings to help control the flow of coatings and the properties of the final coating. It also provides good weather and scratch resistance, making the coating more durable.
Pharmaceutical field: The application of lithium stearate in the pharmaceutical field includes drug carriers, excipients and stabilizers. It can improve the stability of drugs and help improve the taste and solubility of drugs.
Agriculture: Lithium stearate can be used as a fertilizer carrier and plant protection agent. It helps improve fertilizer efficiency and plant disease resistance, improving crop yield and quality.
Petrochemical: Lithium stearate can be used as a lubricant and release agent in the petrochemical industry. Lithium stearate can be used as a catalyst carrier in petroleum cracking to improve cracking efficiency and yield.
Production Method of Lithium stearate :
Chemical synthesis method:
Lithium stearate is synthesised by reacting stearate with lithium metal through a series of chemical reactions. First, the lithium metal and stearate root are heated and stirred in an organic solvent to make the two fully react. Then, pure lithium stearate products are obtained through separation, washing and drying steps.
The specific synthesis steps are as follows:
(1) The lithium metal and stearate root in organic solvents (such as ethanol) mixed, heated stirring, so that the two fully react;
(2) The reaction solution is cooled to precipitate the lithium stearate crystal;
(3) Filter out the lithium stearate crystal and wash it with water to neutral;
(4) The washed crystals are dried to obtain lithium stearate products.
The advantages of chemical synthesis are a mature process, high production efficiency and high product purity. Still, the organic solvents used will impact the environment, and a certain amount of waste will be generated in the production process.
Biological fermentation method:
Biological fermentation uses microorganisms (such as yeast) in the medium fermentation to produce lithium stearate. The basic principle of this method is to use the metabolic pathway of microorganisms to produce stearic acid and then react with metal ions (such as lithium ions) to produce lithium stearate.
The specific production steps are as follows:
(1) The microorganisms are inoculated into the medium containing precursor substances for fermentation culture;
(2) The fermentation liquid is filtered to obtain a solution containing stearic acid;
(3) Add metal ions (such as lithium ions) to the solution containing stearic acid so that the two fully react;
(4) The reaction solution is separated, washed and dried to obtain lithium stearate products.
The advantages of biological fermentation are environmental protection and less waste discharge, but the production cycle is longer, and the production conditions are higher.
Prospect Market of Lithium stearate :
First, the application of lithium stearate in personal care products will continue to play an important role. As a surfactant and lubricant, it plays an important role in products such as soaps, shampoos, body washes and cosmetics. With the improvement of people’s living standards and the continuous expansion of the cosmetics market, the demand for lithium stearate will also gradually increase.
Secondly, the application of lithium stearate in the field of polymer synthesis is also increasing. It can be used as a donor of stearate and participate in the formation of polymer chains. With the continuous development of polymer materials science, the demand for lithium stearate will continue to increase.
In addition, the application of lithium stearate in pharmaceutical, agricultural and petrochemical fields is also expanding. In the pharmaceutical field, lithium stearate can be used as a drug carrier, drug excipient and drug stabilizer. In the field of agriculture, lithium stearate can be used as a fertilizer carrier and plant protection agent. In the petrochemical field, lithium stearate can be used as a lubricant and release agent. The demand for lithium stearate in these areas will also increase with the continuous advancement of application technology.
However, the market outlook of lithium stearate also faces some challenges. For example, the production process requires the use of lithium metal, which makes the production cost higher. In addition, the application field of lithium stearate is relatively narrow, mainly concentrated in personal care products, polymer synthesis, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and petrochemical industries. Therefore, it is necessary to continuously develop new application areas and markets to expand the application scope and market demand of lithium stearate.
Lithium stearate Powder Price :
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