What does magnesium stearate do?

Product Overview

Magnesium Stearate is a metal soap compound (chemical formula: C₃₆H₇₀MgO₄) formed by the combination of stearic acid and magnesium ions with the appearance of white to off-white delicate powder, smooth to the touch, odourless and tasteless. As a multifunctional additive, its core functions include lubrication, anti-caking, flow aid and stabiliser action. With its hydrophobicity and low reactivity, magnesium stearate is used in a wide range of pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic and industrial applications, particularly in high temperature processing or high flow scenarios.

Key Specifications

Purity: ≥98% (in accordance with USP/EP/JP Pharmacopoeia standards, some food grade products can reach 99%).

Heavy metals (e.g. lead): ≤10 ppm, in line with pharmaceutical and food safety requirements.

Loss on drying (moisture): ≤4.0%-5.0% (adjusted according to specific standards) 0.

Melting point: 88-160 ℃ (different processes lead to differences in the range, the decomposition temperature is usually higher than 110 ℃).

Particle size: 200 mesh sieve through rate ≥95%-99% (high mobility requirements can be customised finer particle size).

Solubility: insoluble in water, slightly soluble in ethanol, ether, soluble in hot oil or fatty acids.

pH (suspension): neutral to slightly alkaline (7.0-9.0), compatible with most formulation systems.

Specific surface area: 5-20 m²/g (affects lubrication performance, can be accurately controlled by a specific surface analyser).

Fields of application

Pharmaceutical industry

Tablet/capsule lubricant: reduces the risk of sticky flushing of pressed tablets and improves production efficiency (recommended dosage 0.1%-1%).

Excipients for controlled release preparations: regulate the release rate of drugs and extend shelf life.

Moisture protection agent: reduce moisture absorption, maintain drug stability.

Food Industry

Anti-caking agent: used in milk powder, seasoning and other powdered food, to maintain fluidity.

Processing aids: improve the performance of confectionery and chocolate mould release.

Cosmetics

Powder lubricant: improve the smoothness and extensibility of foundation and loose powder.

Viscosity regulator: to stabilise the texture of emulsions and creams.

Industrial

Plastic/rubber release agents: optimise the moulding process and reduce thermal degradation.

Coating Thickener: Adjusts coating levelling and hiding power

Packaging & Storage

Packing specification

Standard package: 25 kg/bag (inner polyethylene bag, outer kraft paper or woven bag).

Customised options: 1 kg, 5 kg, 20 kg and other small sizes to meet diversified needs.

Storage and Transport

Environmental requirements: cool and dry place (temperature ≤ 25 ℃, humidity ≤ 60%), avoid direct sunlight.

Precautions: sealed against moisture, away from strong acids, oxidants and incompatible substances; food-grade products need to comply with hygienic transport standards

Certification & Support

Quality Certificates

ISO 9001:2015: ensures standardisation and quality control of production processes.

GMP: Compliance with Good Manufacturing Practice.

Halal/Kosher: Halal and Kosher certification is optional.

Customer Service

Technical Consultancy: Provide professional support such as formulation optimisation and process parameter adjustment.

Customised production: adjust particle size, purity and specific surface area according to requirements.

Documentation support: Provide COA (Quality Inspection Report), MSDS (Safety Data Sheet) and TDS (Technical Data Sheet).

Logistic support: fast sample delivery and global logistic network coverage.