Pure oleic acid is a colorless oily liquid, an animal oil or vegetable oil smell in the air a long time home gradually become darker in color, yellow to red industrial oily liquid, with smell of lard. Melting point 16.3 , boiling point 286 (100 mm Hg), relative density 0.8935 (20 / 4 ), refractive index 1.4582, flash point 372 . Soluble in ethanol, ether, chloroform and other organic solvents, insoluble in water. Flammable. Easy case of alkali saponification, after solidification generated white soft solid. Vulnerable under the high temperature oxidation, polymerization or decomposition. Non-toxic.

 Application of the main plasticizer used in the preparation of plastic or epoxy epoxy oleic acid n-octyl. Preparation of wool textile industry for softening antistatic agents and lubricants. Timber industry for the preparation of anti-water emulsion wax. By the oxidation of azelaic acid is a polyamide resin (nylon) material. Pesticides can also be used as emulsifying agent, textile auxiliaries, industrial solvents, metal mineral flotation agent, release agent, grease hydrolysis agent for the preparation of carbon paper, typing paper, oil and all kinds of ball pens, such as oleate. As a chemical reagent, the sample used for chromatography and for biochemical comparison studies, approved by calcium, ammonia, copper, Determination of magnesium, sulfur and so on.
Pure sodium oleate has a good decontamination capability, can be used as emulsifiers such as surfactants, can be used for the treatment of cholelithiasis. Other metal salts of oleic acid can also be used for waterproofing fabrics, lubricants, polishing agents, its barium salt can be used for rodenticide.