Stearin /ˈstɪərɪn/, or tristearin, or glyceryl tristearate is an odourless, white powder.
Stearin is obtained from animal fats created as a byproduct of processing beef.
It can be partially purified by dry fractionation 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.
Stearin is a side product obtained during the extraction of cod liver oil removed during the chilling process at temperatures below −5 °C.
[8] It is mixed with a sodium hydroxide solution in water, creating a reaction which gives glycerin and sodium stearate, the main ingredient in most soap: Stearin is also added to aluminium flakes to help in the grinding process in making dark aluminium powder.