BENZYL ACETATE
what is BENZYL ACETATE?
Synthetic Ingredient For Perfumery Overview
Benzyl acetate is an organic ester with the molecular formula C9H10O2
Similar to most other esters, it possesses a sweet and pleasant aroma, owing to which, it finds applications in personal hygiene and health care products. It is a constituent of Jasmin and of the essential oils of ylang-ylang and neroli (Wikipedia)
Found in a dozen essential oils including jasmine, hyacinth, and gardenia (Gildemeister & Hoffman, 1960).
Benzyl Acetate is in public use since the 1900s. It was granted GRAS status by FEMA (1965) and is approved by the FDA for food use (21 CFR 121.1164). The Council of Europe (1970) listed benzyl acetate, giving an ADI of 5 mg/kg. The Food Chemicals Codex (1972) has a monograph on benzyl acetate, and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (1967) has published a monograph and specification for benzyl acetate, giving an unconditional A D I of 0-5 mg/kg body weight in man.
Profile
📂 CAS N° — 140-11-4
⚖️ MW — 150.17
♨️ Vapor pressure (20°C) — Undefined
📝 Odor Type — Fruity Floral (Jasmin)
📈 Odor Strength — High, but with Poor Tenacity
👃🏼 Odor Profile — Very powerful, significantly fruity banana, with floral notes of jasmin. Sharp and pungent.
👅 Flavor Profile —
⚗️Uses — Very extensively used in perfumery, from the lowest priced industrial odors to the most highly appreciated cosmetic fragrances, often constituting the main ingredient in a perfume oil. It is almost inevitably the largest component in Jasmin and Gardenia fragrances, and it enters in a multitude of other floral fragrance types in smaller proportions. Its poor tenacity is usually compensated for by proper blending with higher esters of Benzyl alcohol, and with suitable fixatives.
Frequently used in flavor compositions, for imitation Apple, Apricot, Banana, Butter, Cherry, Peach, Pear, Plum, Pineapple, Quince, Raspberry, Strawberry, Violet, etc. etc. (S. arctander).
In the industrial odors, the volatility of Benzyl acetate is often only an advantage.
Production
By the interaction of benzyl chloride and sodium acetate or by acetylation of benzyl alcohol.