Floral Butanal (Florhydral)

Technical Ingredient Overview

• 🏭 Manufacturer — Firmenich

• 🔎 Chemical Name — 3-(4-tert-Butylphenyl)propanal

• 🧪 Synonyms — Florhydral®, Floral Butanal

• 🧬 Chemical Formula — C₁₃H₁₈O

• 📂 CAS — 125109-85-5

• 📘 FEMA — 4109

• ⚖️ Molecular Weight (MW) — 190.28 g/mol

• 📝 Odor Type — Floral-green

• 📈 Odor Strength — Medium to strong

• 👃🏼 Odor Profile — Fresh, muguet (lily of the valley), watery, green, aldehydic, slightly ozonic

• ⚗️ Uses — Fine fragrance, functional perfumery (soaps, detergents), personal care formulations

• 🧴 Appearance — Colorless to pale yellow liquid

What is Floral Butanal / Florhydral®?

Florhydral® (Floral Butanal) is a synthetic aroma chemical created by Firmenich, classified as an aliphatic aldehyde substituted with a bulky tert-butylphenyl group. It was specifically designed to replicate and modernize the elusive fresh floral scent of lily of the valley (muguet), providing perfumers with a stable, highly diffusive, and environmentally resilient alternative to natural extracts.

Florhydral® has become a key material for imparting a fresh, dewy floral-green quality to fragrance compositions, with particular emphasis on creating lifelike muguet accords.

Historical Background

Developed by Firmenich during the late 20th century, Florhydral® emerged in response to the perfumery industry's growing demand for stable, allergen-reduced floral notes. Traditional muguet extraction was impractical, driving innovation toward synthetic interpretations. Firmenich's approach combined a fresh floral aldehydic impact with improved solubility and stability across fragrance formats, from fine fragrances to detergents and shampoos.

Florhydral® remains a benchmark for modern muguet reconstructions, aligning with broader industry movements towards sustainability and safer scent ingredients (Sell, 2019).

The Florhydrals :

(+)-(S)-FLORHYDRAL®

In comparison with the racemate, the (+)-enantiomer has a more green, less watery, and more powerful fragranceOdour threshold = 0.035 ng/l airAlso known as (+)-(S)-3-(3-Isopropyl-phenyl)-butyraldehyde.

(-)-(R)-FLORHYDRAL®

The (-)- enantiomer has a typical racemic Florhydral® smell - floral, fresh, green, muguet-like, but more marine, and more plasticOdour threshold = 0.88 ng/l airAlso known as (-)-(R)-3-(3-Isopropyl-phenyl)-butyraldehyde.

Olfactory Profile

Scent Family and Main Descriptors_

Florhydral® belongs to the floral-green scent family. It is characterized by:

• Freshness

• Watery transparency

• Green floralcy reminiscent of lily of the valley

• Soft aldehydic lift

• Subtle ozonic, airy nuances

Intensity, Tenacity, and Volatility

• Odor strength is medium to strong, offering a dynamic freshness without overwhelming compositions.

• Tenacity is moderate, typical of floral heart materials, supporting the longevity of green watery notes.

• Volatility is moderate, providing a smooth transition from top to heart phases in perfumery.

Applications in Fine Fragrance

Florhydral® is essential for building modern muguet, aquatic floral, and green floral accords. It synergizes well with materials like Hydroxycitronellal, Calone®, and ionones, enhancing watery and floral aspects.

Notable uses include compositions seeking a light, dew-kissed floralcy typical of 1990s marine-floral and contemporary clean fragrances.

Performance in Formula

• Excellent stability in both alcoholic and aqueous systems (detergents, softeners).

• Enhances diffusion, particularly when layered with lighter aldehydes or green fruity notes.

• Moderate fixative capacity, extending the freshness of heart notes.

• High compatibility across a broad olfactory palette, particularly fresh, green, floral, and ozonic themes.

Industrial & Technical Uses

Outside fine fragrance, Florhydral® finds extensive application in:

• Fabric care products (fabric softeners, detergents)

• Personal care items (shampoos, soaps, body washes)

• Household cleaners

Its high stability and uplifting character make it a preferred ingredient for adding a luxurious, long-lasting floral freshness to everyday products.

Regulatory & Safety Overview

• IFRA Compliance — Florhydral® is restricted for specific uses but permitted overall; always consult the latest IFRA Amendment (IFRA 51st) for category-specific limits.

• GHS Classification — Not classified as hazardous under GHS.

• EU Cosmetics Regulation — Permitted without specific restrictions; standard safety assessments apply (Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009).

• Allergen Risk — Not listed among the EU’s 26 declarable fragrance allergens.

• Toxicology — Demonstrates low acute toxicity; not classified as a sensitizer at normal usage concentrations (Firmenich, 2020).

• REACH Status — Fully compliant with REACH registration requirements.

References

• Firmenich. (2020). Florhydral® Product Datasheet. Firmenich SA.

• Kraft, P. (2006). Aldehydes and their impact on perfumery: Classical to contemporary applications. In Scent and Chemistry: The Molecular World of Odors.

• Sell, C. S. (2019). The Chemistry of Fragrances: From Perfumer to Consumer (2nd ed.). Royal Society of Chemistry.