Magnesium Stearate Supplier in Malaysia
- Also known as
- Magnesium Octadecanoate
- Magnesium Distearate
- Magnesium Salt of Stearic Acid
- Stearic Acid Magnesium Salt
Magnesium stearate supply in Malaysia serves four kinds of buyer: tablet and supplement manufacturers, dry food blenders, colour cosmetics houses, and compounders who want a metal soap in a polymer or a pressing operation. The powder they all order (CAS 557-04-0, also indexed as magnesium octadecanoate or magnesium distearate) is light and bulky, white, faintly scented, greasy on the fingers and practically insoluble in water.
Trade grades split along those same lines: pharmaceutical and nutraceutical, food, cosmetic, technical. The argument in practice is about the numbers behind the grade name, since commercial powder is a mixture of the stearate and the palmitate rather than one pure compound. Magnesium content, stearic acid content, particle size, specific surface area and bulk density are the figures that decide whether a delivery runs on a given press or blender.
Function changes with the industry. Solid dose and supplement blends use it to lubricate and stop sticking, dry food blends to prevent caking and aid release, pressed cosmetic powders to hold a cake together. On the industrial side it scavenges acid and lubricates internally in polymer compounds, lubricates dies in powder metallurgy and friction material pressing, and flattens coating films.
One boundary is worth stating: this is the magnesium salt, not stearic acid and not the calcium, zinc or aluminium salts, all of which carry their own specifications. Give the grade, particle size target, feedstock restriction if any, quantity and delivery point, and the quotation returns pack format, documentation, availability and timing.
- CAS number
- 557-04-0
- Formula
- Mg(C18H35O2)2
- Grade
- pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, technical
- Appearance
- fine white to off-white bulky powder, greasy to the touch, with a faint characteristic odour
Magnesium Stearate grades and forms
We supply several forms to suit different formulating and dosing setups. If you need a size that is not listed, ask us.
| Grade | Form | Assay | Typical use | Packing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmaceutical and nutraceutical grade magnesium stearate | fine white low-density powder | — | Lubricant and anti-adherent in tablet, capsule and supplement blends, where the buyer's own specification usually fixes particle size, specific surface area and magnesium content. Send the dosage form and the specification the blend is written against. | Pack format is confirmed with the quotation. |
| Food grade magnesium stearate | fine white powder | — | Anti-caking, flow and release aid in seasoning blends, powdered drink and bakery premixes, and confectionery moulding, where a hydrophobic fatty soap keeps a dry blend free flowing. | Pack format is confirmed with the quotation. |
| Cosmetic grade magnesium stearate | fine white powder | — | Adhesion and compaction aid in pressed face powders, foundations and eyeshadow cakes, and a texture modifier in loose powders and dry shampoo bases. State the colour and odour limits the formulation sets. | Pack format is confirmed with the quotation. |
| Technical grade magnesium stearate | white powder or coarse powder | — | Internal lubricant and acid scavenger in polymer compounding, die and press lubricant in powder metallurgy and friction material pressing, and a flatting or sanding additive in coating systems. | Pack format is confirmed with the quotation. |
How to buy magnesium stearate from ChemTrade
Request a quote for magnesium stearate
Use the form below to request a quotation. You can also email sales@chemtrademalaysia.com or send us a message on WhatsApp.
Specifications
| Parameter | Value | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | fine white to off-white bulky powder, greasy to the touch, with a faint characteristic odour | — |
| CAS number | 557-04-0 | — |
| Chemical formula | Mg(C18H35O2)2 | — |
| Solubility in water | practically insoluble; the powder is hydrophobic and resists wetting in cold water | — |
| Magnesium content | commonly around 4 to 5 per cent on commercial powder, stated on the specification for the grade quoted | — |
| Composition | commercial material is a mixture of magnesium stearate and magnesium palmitate, so a stearic acid content limit is set against the grade rather than assumed | — |
| Particle size and surface area | graded by particle size distribution and specific surface area; state what the blending or pressing step needs | — |
| Bulk density | low on the light bulky powders and higher on denser grades, which changes feeder and blender behaviour | — |
| Common grade checks | magnesium content, stearic acid content, loss on drying, particle size, bulk density and specific surface area according to the application | — |
Magnesium Stearate applications
Safety and handling
Store the powder sealed, off the floor and clear of heat, ignition sources and strong oxidising agents in a dry area. Because the material is light and bulky, charging and tipping generate airborne dust, which is managed with local extraction or an enclosed transfer. Handle to the safety information issued for the grade being quoted.
Common questions about magnesium stearate
What does magnesium stearate do in a tablet or capsule blend?
Formulators add it at low levels as a lubricant and anti-adherent so the blend moves through the press or filler and leaves the tooling cleanly. Addition level, blending time and particle size are decided by the formulation work, not by the raw material, so state the dosage form and the specification points that matter.
Is magnesium stearate the same as stearic acid?
No, these are two different products. The acid is the fatty raw material; the magnesium version is the neutralised salt produced from it, and neutralising the carboxyl group removes the acidic behaviour and leaves a powder that will not dissolve in water. Specify each one by name, since neither substitutes for the other.
How does magnesium stearate differ from calcium, zinc or aluminium stearate?
Changing the metal changes what the soap is used for, and every one of those four has its own page and its own specification sheet. The magnesium salt is the one formulators reach for in solid dose lubrication and dry blend flow work; the calcium, zinc and aluminium salts answer different lubrication, stabiliser and water repellency problems. Specify the one your formulation names.
Which magnesium stearate grade should I request?
Pharmaceutical and nutraceutical grade suits tablet, capsule and supplement blends, food grade covers seasoning, premix and confectionery work, cosmetic grade goes into pressed and loose powders, and technical grade handles polymer, powder metallurgy and coating duties. Send the end use and the limits your specification sets and the grade choice follows from that.
Can I specify vegetable-derived magnesium stearate?
State the feedstock requirement in the enquiry. Both palm-based vegetable material and tallow-derived material are traded, and the two are not interchangeable for buyers whose specification restricts the source. The feedstock behind any particular offer is confirmed with the quotation rather than assumed from the grade name.
Is magnesium stearate soluble in water?
It is practically insoluble, and that water-repelling character is the whole reason it lubricates a press and keeps a dry blend from caking. Anyone needing to introduce it through a water phase asks about a dispersion rather than the neat powder, so describe how the material will be dosed when you write in.
What information should a magnesium stearate enquiry contain?
The useful set is grade, particle size or surface area target, quantity and destination, plus any magnesium or stearic acid content window your specification imposes and any feedstock restriction. Flag the paperwork your receiving plant expects at the same time and the quotation can cover everything at once.