Eugenol

Essence and Fragrance of Eugenol

Eugenol is naturally found in essential oils such as clove oil, clove basil oil and cinnamon oil. It is a colorless to light yellow thick oily liquid with a strong clove aroma and pungent fragrance. At present, the industrial production of eugenol is mostly isolated from it-rich essential oil by alkali treatment. Usually, sodium hydroxide solution is add to the separated oil, heat and stirred, the non-phenolic part of the oil floating on the liquid surface is extracted with solvent or steamed with steam, and then acidified with sodium salt to obtain crude eugenol, washed with water to neutral, and then purified by vacuum distillation.

Physical and Chemical Properties

The scientific name of this product is 4-allyl-2-methoxyphenol. Molecular formula C10H12O2, molecular weight 164.21. Colorless to light yellow viscous liquid, with a strong lilac aroma. Boiling point 253℃, melting point -9.2 ~ -9.1℃, relative density d25251.053 ~ 1.064, refractive index nD201.538 ~ 1.542. Slightly soluble in water, can be miscible with alcohol, ether, chloroform, volatile oil, soluble in glacial acetic acid and caustic soda solution.

Baisfu Eugenol can also turn red litmus blue when combined with an ethanol solution of ferric chloride. It is found in clove oil (90%), clove basil oil (60%), acacia oil and citronella oil. The industrial production method is mainly the reaction of sodium hydroxide solution with it in essential oil to produce sodium eugenol,and then acidification to separate it. It can use as a fixing and modifying agent of wood flavor and Oriental flavor on spices. That is the main fragrance agent for preparing clove and carnation flavor.