Sodium stearate is the sodium salt of stearic acid. Purified sodium stearate can be made by neutralizing stearic acid with sodium hydroxide. The main compounds of the seed oil are oleic, linoleic, stearic, and palmitic acid. Stearates are the salts and esters of stearic acid. About 85 to 90% of the fatty acid composition is stearic and oleic acids. Hydrogenated castor oil results in a mixture of 12-hydroxystearic acid and stearic acid. The salts and esters of stearic acid are called stearates. Chemically it is the glycerol ester of stearic acid. Most fatty acids are even chain, e.g. stearic (C16) and oleic (C18). Glycol distearate is the diester of stearic acid and ethylene glycol. For example, in humans, the desaturation of stearic acid by stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 produces oleic acid. Dimer acid usually contains predominantly a dimer of stearic acid. It is the ester of stearic acid and ethylene glycol. Detergents are obtained from amides and quaternary alkylammonium derivatives of stearic acid. Hydrogenation of the double bond yields the saturated derivative stearic acid.