Profile: Chemical Associates is a manufacturer and distributor of natural-based oleochemicals, including tall oil fatty acids, oleic acids, stearic acids, fractionated acids, fatty alcohols, polyunsaturated fatty acids, coconut fatty acids, ricinoleaic acid, methyl esters, calcium stearate, metallic stearates and glycerine. Coconut fatty acids are used in a wide variety of products, including food, household detergents, metalworking fluids, paints and coatings, soaps, textile chemicals and fatty derivatives. Dimer acids (dimerized fatty acids) are dicarboxylic acids produced by dimerizing unsaturated fatty acids obtained from tall oil, oleic acid, canola oil or cottonseed oil, usually on clay catalysts. Dimer acids can be used to synthesize polyamide resins and hot melt adhesives. They are also used in alkyd resins, adhesives, surfactants, fuel oil additives and lubricants. Dimer acids are light yellow transparent viscous liquids. They are also non-toxic. A dimer acid of predominantly stearic acid is termed a C36 dimer acid. The chemistry can be taken further to form a trimer acid where the product consists of three fatty acid molecules.