Cetyl alcohol /ˈsiːtəl/, also known as hexadecan-1-ol and palmityl alcohol, is a C-16 fatty alcohol with the formula CH₃(CH₂)₁₅OH. At room temperature, cetyl alcohol takes the form of a waxy white solid or flakes. The name cetyl derives from the whale oil (cetacea oil, from Latin: cetus, lit. 'whale', from Ancient Greek: κῆτος, romanized: kētos, lit. 'huge fish') from which it was first isolated.

Cetyl alcohol

Names
Preferred IUPAC name Hexadecan-1-ol
Other names Cetanol, Cetyl alcohol, Ethal, Ethol, Hexadecanol, Hexadecyl alcohol, Palmityl alcohol
Identifiers
CAS Number	36653-82-4 Y
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
ChEBI	CHEBI:16125 Y
ChEMBL	ChEMBL706 Y
ChemSpider	2581 Y
ECHA InfoCard	100.048.301
EC Number	253-149-0
KEGG	D00099 Y
PubChem CID	2682
UNII	936JST6JCN Y
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID4027991
InChI InChI=1S/C16H34O/c1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17/h17H,2-16H2,1H3 Y Key: BXWNKGSJHAJOGX-UHFFFAOYSA-N Y InChI=1/C16H34O/c1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17/h17H,2-16H2,1H3 Key: BXWNKGSJHAJOGX-UHFFFAOYAS
SMILES OCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
Properties
Chemical formula	C16H34O
Molar mass	242.447 g·mol−1
Appearance	White crystals or flakes
Odor	Very faint, waxy
Density	0.811 g/cm3
Melting point	49.3 °C (120.7 °F; 322.4 K)
Boiling point	344 °C (651 °F; 617 K)
Solubility in water	Insoluble
Solubility	Very soluble in ether, benzene, and chloroform. Soluble in acetone. Slightly soluble in alcohol.
log P	7.25
Acidity (pKa)	16.20
Magnetic susceptibility (χ)	−183.5·10−6 cm3/mol
Refractive index (nD)	1.4283 (79 °C)
Viscosity	53 cP (75 °C)
Hazards
NFPA 704 (fire diamond)	1 1 0
Flash point	185 °C (365 °F; 458 K)
Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC):
LD50 (median dose)	5000 mg/kg (rat, oral)
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). Y verify (what is YN ?) Infobox references