Essential Oil

Name:
Essential Oil
Detailed information:
A volatile oil derived from the leaves, stem, flower, or twigs of plants, and usually carrying the odor or flavor of the plant. Chemically, they are often principally terpenes (hydrocarbons), but many other types also occur. Essential oils (except for those containing esters) are unsaponifiable. Some are nearly pure single compounds, as oil of wintergreen, which is methyl salicylate. Others are mixtures, as turpentine oil (pinene, dipentene) and oil of bitter almond (benzaldehyde, hydrocyanic acid). Some contain resins in solution and are called oleoresins or balsams.

Properties:

Pungent taste and odor; usually nearly colorless when fresh but becoming darker and thick on exposure to the air. Optically active, d 0.850–1.100. Soluble in alcohol, carbon disulfide, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, petroleum ether, and fatty oils; insoluble in water except for individual constituents of some oils which may be partially water-soluble, resulting in a loss of these constituents during steam distillation.

Derivation:

(1) By steam distillation; (2) by pressing (fruit rinds); (3) by solvent extraction; (4) by maceration of the flowers and leaves in fat and treating the fat with a solvent; (5) by enfleurage.

Use:

Perfumery, flavors, thinning precious-metal preparations used in decorating ceramic ware.See Terpeneless Oil. Further information can be obtained from the Essential Oil Association of U.S.Note: Many essential oils are now made synthetically for a wide variety of fragrances and flavoring agents. Use of these synthetics is increasing because of a shortage of natural products.