What is the purpose of an iodine value test on stearic acid raw material?

[CrimpJiggler]

In my lab at college we were analysing various pharmaceutical excipients, stearic acid being one of them. We did an iodine value test on it. From what I've read, the iodine-value test is to determine the degree of unsaturation of a compound. Stearic acid is a saturated fatty acid so I don't understand how this test can be performed on it. It was a raw material sample we were analysing like you would do if you were a quality assurance analyst for a pharmaceutical company. What purpose could performing an iodine value test on a stearic acid raw material sample serve?

 

[Borek]

Just guessing - if the result is anything but zero, you know you have unsaturated impurities.