Used in the synthesis of biodegradable polymers and specialty surfactants due to its long aliphatic chain and functional carboxylic acid groups. Its structure allows for esterification and polymerization reactions, making it suitable for developing environmentally friendly coatings, lubricants, and drug delivery systems. Also investigated as a building block in green chemistry applications where renewable feedstocks are preferred. The lactone ring enables ring-opening polymerization, useful in creating polyesters with tailored degradation profiles.