Relating to or containing a peculiar acid found in certain plant oils, particularly tung oil, known for its rapid drying properties.
From Greek 'elaion' (oil) combined with 'stearic' (from Greek 'stear,' meaning animal fat or tallow). The term was coined in the 19th century to describe this specific fatty acid that behaves unusually compared to other oils.
Eleostearic acid is why tung oil dries so fast it was used for centuries in Asian woodworking and varnishes—it's actually a conjugated polyunsaturated acid that polymerizes in air, unlike most oils that just evaporate!
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