1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Palmitic Acid
PALMITIC ACID, n-Hexadecylic Acid, CH3(CH2)14CO2H, an organic acid found as a glyceride, palmitin, in all animal fats, and partly as glyceride and partly uncombined in palm oil. The cetyl ester is spermaceti, and the myricyl ester is largely present in beeswax. It is most conveniently obtained from olive oil, after removal of the oleic acid (q.v.), or from Japanese beeswax, which is its glyceride. Artificially it may be prepared by heating cetyl alcohol with soda lime to 270° or by fusing oleic acid with potassium hydrate.