Concrete (perfumery)

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Concrete, in perfumery, is a waxy mass obtained by solvent extraction of fresh plant material. [1] It is usually used for the production of absolutes.

Contents

Sources of Concrete

Concretes are produced from natural plant materials—mainly flowers. Some of the most popular natural flowers used are rose, lavender, jasmine, tuberose, jonquil, and ylang-ylang. [2]

Production

An image of a Damask rose. This aromatic species of rose is used for producing rose concrete to be made into a rose absolute. Rose is one of the most popular natural flowers used in perfumery. Rosa damascena5.jpg
An image of a Damask rose. This aromatic species of rose is used for producing rose concrete to be made into a rose absolute. Rose is one of the most popular natural flowers used in perfumery.

To produce concrete, fresh plant material is extracted with nonpolar solvents. On evaporation of the solvent, a semi-solid residue of essential oils, waxes, resins and other oil-soluble plant chemicals remains. [2]

The solvent used for extraction must be chosen carefully regarding its polarity and boiling point. If the boiling point is too high, compounds that are readily deactivated by heat might be destroyed, leading to a loss of certain fragrance ingredients during evaporation. [4]

The resulting residue after evaporation consists mostly of heavier nonvolatile substances, which give concrete its "waxy" properties.

Putting the plant materials under high pressure before treating it with solvents has been found to greatly increase the yield of the concrete. [5] This is because high pressure causes the cells to burst, which allows the glucoside and diastase in the plants to react more freely.

Applications

The main use of concrete is for producing absolutes. The general process of producing absolutes includes extracting the concrete with ethanol, using cold filtration to remove residue, then distilling off the ethanol. [4]

Absolutes are highly concentrated and aromatic oily mixtures. They are similar to essential oils, but are more soluble and have longer lasting odours. Absolutes are completely soluble in ethanol and can be used as perfume ingredients. In contrast to this, concretes are only partially soluble in ethanol due its composition of heavier substances. [2] Therefore, they cannot directly produce perfume without being made into an absolute first. Moreover, because of their insoluble character, they are also used in soap perfumery. [4]

Current Issues

The first issue with using concretes in perfumery is that their extracts can become rancid after several months, especially if the containers are exposed to strong light. [5]

The second issue is regarding residual pesticides in concretes. [1] Cultivation of natural raw materials for producing concretes is often done by using monoculture techniques that use pesticides. The international regulation of pesticides in use for natural raw materials is not consistent yet. In Europe, the Regulation no. 396/2005/CE and Regulation n° 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and the European Council set target maximum pesticide residue limit as 0.01 mg kg−1. However, currently, there is no universal method for analyzing the amount of residual pesticides in concretes that could show if the amount of residual pesticide in a concrete sample is safe. Previous analyses that used gas chromatography were heavily affected by the different components of the complex mixture of concrete samples. Therefore, it is likely that their analyses of the amount of pesticide in concrete was inaccurate. This is a concern, as a level of pesticide in concrete that is above the safe limit could lead to health risks.

Related Research Articles

Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agreeable scent. Perfumes can be defined as substances that emit and diffuse a pleasant and fragrant odor. They consist of manmade mixtures of aromatic chemicals and essential oils. The 1939 Nobel Laureate for Chemistry, Leopold Ružička stated in 1945 that "right from the earliest days of scientific chemistry up to the present time, perfumes have substantially contributed to the development of organic chemistry as regards methods, systematic classification, and theory."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Essential oil</span> Hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants

An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the oil of the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove. An essential oil is essential in the sense that it contains the essence of the plant's fragrance—the characteristic fragrance of the plant from which it is derived. The term "essential" used here does not mean indispensable or usable by the human body, as with the terms essential amino acid or essential fatty acid, which are so called because they are nutritionally required by a living organism.

<i>Cananga odorata</i> Species of tree

Cananga odorata, known as ylang-ylang or cananga tree, is a tropical tree that is native to and originated in the Philippines and spread to Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Queensland, Australia. It is also native to parts of Cambodia, Thailand, India and Vietnam. It is valued for the essential oils extracted from its flowers, which has a strong floral fragrance. Ylang-ylang is one of the most extensively used natural materials in the perfume industry, earning it the name "Queen of Perfumes".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Absolute (perfumery)</span>

Used in perfumery and aromatherapy, absolutes are similar to essential oils. They are concentrated, highly aromatic, oily mixtures extracted from plants. Whereas essential oils are produced by distillation, boiling or pressing, absolutes are produced through solvent extraction, or more traditionally, through enfleurage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Labdanum</span> Sticky brown resin produced by Mediterranean shrubs

Labdanum, also called ladanum, ladan, or ladanon, is a sticky brown resin obtained from the shrubs Cistus ladanifer and Cistus creticus, species of rockrose. It was historically used in herbal medicine and is still used in the preparation of some perfumes and vermouths.

Fragrance oils, also known as aroma oils, aromatic oils, and flavor oils, are blended synthetic aroma compounds or natural essential oils that are diluted with a carrier like propylene glycol, vegetable oil, or mineral oil.

Oleoresins are semi-solid extracts composed of resin and essential or fatty oil, obtained by evaporation of the solvents used for their production. The oleoresin of conifers is known as crude turpentine or gum turpentine, which consists of oil of turpentine and rosin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rose oil</span> Essential oil extracted from rose petals

Rose oil is the essential oil extracted from the petals of various types of rose. Rose ottos are extracted through steam distillation, while rose absolutes are obtained through solvent extraction, the absolute being used more commonly in perfumery. The production technique originated in Greater Iran. Even with their high price and the advent of organic synthesis, rose oils are still perhaps the most widely used essential oil in perfumery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neroli</span> Essential oil of the bitter orange blossom

Neroli oil is an essential oil produced from the blossom of the bitter orange tree. Its scent is sweet, honeyed and somewhat metallic with green and spicy facets. Orange blossom is also extracted from the same blossom and both extracts are extensively used in perfumery. Orange blossom can be described as smelling sweeter, warmer and more floral than neroli. The difference between how neroli and orange blossom smell and why they are referred to with different names, is a result of the process of extraction that is used to obtain the oil from the blooms. Neroli is extracted by steam distillation and orange blossom is extracted via a process of enfleurage or solvent extraction.

<i>Evernia prunastri</i> Species of lichen

Evernia prunastri, also known as oakmoss, is a species of lichen. It can be found in many mountainous temperate forests throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Oakmoss grows primarily on the trunk and branches of oak trees, but is also commonly found on the bark of other deciduous trees and conifers such as fir and pine. The thalli of oakmoss are short and bushy, and grow together on bark to form large clumps. Oakmoss thallus is flat and strap-like. They are also highly branched, resembling the form of antlers. The colour of oakmoss ranges from green to a greenish-white when dry, and dark olive-green to yellow-green when wet. The texture of the thalli is rough when dry and rubbery when wet. It is used extensively in modern perfumery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farnesol</span> Chemical compound

Farnesol is a natural 15-carbon organic compound which is an acyclic sesquiterpene alcohol. Under standard conditions, it is a colorless liquid. It is hydrophobic, and thus insoluble in water, but miscible with oils.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extract</span> Category of substance

An extract (essence) is a substance made by extracting a part of a raw material, often by using a solvent such as ethanol, oil or water. Extracts may be sold as tinctures, absolutes or in powder form.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eucalyptus oil</span> Distilled oil from the leaf of Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus oil is the generic name for distilled oil from the leaf of Eucalyptus, a genus of the plant family Myrtaceae native to Australia and cultivated worldwide. Eucalyptus oil has a history of wide application, as a pharmaceutical, antiseptic, repellent, flavouring, fragrance and industrial uses. The leaves of selected Eucalyptus species are steam distilled to extract eucalyptus oil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fragrance extraction</span> Separation process of aromatic compounds from raw materials

Fragrance extraction refers to the separation process of aromatic compounds from raw materials, using methods such as distillation, solvent extraction, expression, sieving, or enfleurage. The results of the extracts are either essential oils, absolutes, concretes, or butters, depending on the amount of waxes in the extracted product.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of perfume</span>

The word perfume is used today to describe scented mixtures and is derived from the Latin word, "per fumus," meaning through smoke. The word perfumery refers to the art of making perfumes. Perfume was refined by the Romans, the Persians and the Arabs. Although perfume and perfumery also existed in East Asia, much of its fragrances were incense based. The basic ingredients and methods of making perfumes are described by Pliny the Elder in his Naturalis Historia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Methyl anthranilate</span> Chemical compound

Methyl anthranilate, also known as MA, methyl 2-aminobenzoate, or carbomethoxyaniline, is an ester of anthranilic acid. Its chemical formula is C8H9NO2. It has a strong and fruity grape smell, and one of its key uses is as a flavoring agent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eau de toilette</span> Lightly scented perfume

Eau de toilette is a lightly scented perfume. It is also referred to as aromatic waters and has a high alcohol content. It is usually applied directly to the skin after bathing or shaving. It is traditionally composed of alcohol and various volatile oils. Traditionally these products were named after a principal ingredient; some being geranium water, lavender water, lilac water, violet water, spirit of myrcia and 'eau de Bretfeld'. Because of this, eau de toilette was sometimes referred to as "toilet water".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jasmine in Karnataka</span>

Jasmine is considered the queen of flowers and is called the "Belle of India" or the "Queen of fragrance" as it is exquisitely scented to soothe and refresh. In different parts of India it is called by different names—Mogra, Motia, Chameli, Malli puvvu, Jaati, Mulla, Mallige, Juhi, Mogra or Moonlight in the grove. It is reported that there are 300 varieties of jasmine. It is also stated that jasmine crossed the seas—from Asia to Europe, landing first along the Mediterranean Sea, conquering Greece and Turkey, reaching Western Europe through Spain, then France and Italy and finally landing in England in the latter part of the 17th century..

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hash oil</span> Oleoresin obtained by the extraction of cannabis or hashish

Hash oil or cannabis oil is an oleoresin obtained by the extraction of cannabis or hashish. It is a cannabis concentrate containing many of its resins and terpenes – in particular, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and other cannabinoids. Hash oil is usually consumed by smoking, vaporizing or eating. Preparations of hash oil may be solid or colloidal depending on both production method and temperature and are usually identified by their appearance or characteristics. Color most commonly ranges from transparent golden or light brown, to tan or black. There are various extraction methods, most involving a solvent, such as butane or ethanol.

References

  1. 1 2 Tascone, Oriane; Roy, Céline; Filippi, Jean-Jacques; Meierhenrich, Uwe J. (2014). "Use, analysis, and regulation of pesticides in natural extracts, essential oils, concretes, and absolutes". Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry. 406 (4): 971–980. doi:10.1007/s00216-013-7102-z. ISSN   1618-2642. PMID   23797908. S2CID   10173277 via Springer Link.
  2. 1 2 3 Panten, Johannes; Surburg, Horst (2015-11-26), "Flavors and Fragrances, 4. Natural Raw Materials", in Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA (ed.), Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Weinheim, Germany: Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, pp. 1–58, doi:10.1002/14356007.t11_t03, ISBN   978-3-527-30673-2
  3. Aydinli, Meltem; Tuta?, Mehmet (2003). "Production of rose absolute from rose concrete". Flavour and Fragrance Journal. 18 (1): 26–31. doi:10.1002/ffj.1138. ISSN   0882-5734.
  4. 1 2 3 Müller, P. M.; Lamparsky, D., eds. (1994). Perfumes. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. doi:10.1007/978-94-011-3826-0. ISBN   978-94-010-5701-1.
  5. 1 2 Poucher, W. A. (1993), "The Production of Natural Perfumes", Perfumes, Cosmetics and Soaps, Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, pp. 16–40, doi:10.1007/978-94-011-1484-4_2, ISBN   978-94-010-4651-0