Adipocere is also known as grave or corpse wax or the “fat of graveyards”, and is produced when adipose tissue decomposes, usually in cold wet conditions, by the hydrolysis of triglycerides into glycerine and free fatty acids [33].

What is adipocere used for?

In corpses, the firm cast of adipocere allows some estimation of body shape and facial features, and injuries are often well-preserved.

What is adipocere and what is the informal name for this?

Hatchettine or rock-fat is sometimes called adipocere; and bog-butter is a substance nearly similar to it. ... There was not a trace of adipocere—the peculiar waxy soap that forms in bodies that decay in water or in a damp situation.