Synthetic aroma chemicals are developed by technicians through the scientific techniques at their disposal and prepared by chemical or biological synthesis to mimic the odors found in nature. Synthetic aroma chemicals form the backbone of the ingredients used in the preparation of flavors and fragrances. Mostly, their uses and advantages cannot be replicated by natural aroma chemicals . This is mainly due to their easy availability and their relatively low cost compared to natural molecules isolated from relatively limited natural resources. As a unique aroma compounds, they have great commercial importance in the fields of food, pharmaceuticals, textiles, cosmetics, and personal care.
Development history
The fragrance industry is developed from natural aroma chemicals, and synthetic aroma chemicals are the inevitable product of the development stage of the fragrance industry. Synthetic aroma chemicals originated in the late 19th century. Initially, it was discovered that the main components of the aromatic wintergreen oil, vanilla bean and tonka bean are methyl salicylate, vanillin and coumarin, respectively. Subsequently, the researchers successfully chemically synthesized these aroma-carrying spices. Not long after, ionone and nitro-musk also appeared, and these discoveries were also important milestones in the development of synthetic aroma chemicals. Due to the limitations of natural essential oil production and the development of the organic chemical industry, synthetic aroma chemicals have developed rapidly since the 1950s. Some terpene aroma chemicals originally from essential oil, such as linalool, geraniol and citronellol, have been put into production by semi-synthesis or total synthesis successively, and the yield is considerable. In addition, a series of new aroma chemicals that have not been found in nature have emerged one after another. To date, synthetic aroma chemicals are still being developed and innovated.
Raw materials
The main raw materials of synthetic aroma chemicals include natural plant essential oil, coal chemical products and petrochemical products.
- Natural plant essential oil
Many natural essential oils can be used to produce synthetic aroma chemicals , such as turpentine, citronella oil, castor oil, canola oil, etc. The monomers are first isolated from the essential oils by physical or chemical methods, and then the more valuable aroma compounds are prepared by organic synthesis.
Coal chemical products undergo thermal decomposition reactions when subjected to high temperatures. In addition to producing coke for steel making, by-products such as coal tar and gas are also obtained. These by-products can be further fractionated and purified to obtain phenol, benzene, naphthalene, and other organic chemical raw materials. Using these organic chemical raw materials, many valuable synthetic fragrance compounds can be synthesized.
From the oil refining and natural gas chemical industries, a large amount of organic chemical raw materials, such as benzene, toluene, and ethylene, can be obtained directly or indirectly. Using these chemical raw materials, in addition to being able to synthesize alcohols, aldehydes, ketones and other general aroma chemicals, but also to synthesize synthetic musk and some other valuable aroma chemicals.
What we offer
Alfa Chemistry offers synthetic aroma chemicals, which can be divided into the following categories according to the different functional groups.
Alfa Chemistry provides customers with a wide range of synthetic aroma chemicals. If you do not find what you need, please contact us. We also offer product customization according to customer's detailed requirements.
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.
