Lithium stearate is a lithium salt of stearic acid, which is a long-chain fatty acid. As such, it is largely a non-polar compound due to the lengthy hydrocarbon tail of the stearate ion. However, as an ionic compound, lithium stearate is not very soluble in non-polar solvents like hydrocarbons (e.g., hexane or petroleum ether). Ionic compounds typically prefer polar solvents (such as water or alcohols) for dissolution.
In summary, lithium