Decane (CAS 124-18-5) — Woody Base Note Fragrance Ingredient
Decane
CAS 124-18-5
What Is Decane?
Decane is a synthetic hydrocarbon used as a solvent and diluent in perfumery. It’s found in some industrial fragrances and cleaning products. While not a primary scent ingredient, decane helps control the evaporation rate of other fragrance components, making scents last longer on skin and surfaces.
Safety Profile
USE WITH AWARENESSWhat Does Decane Smell Like?
Decane itself is nearly odorless, presenting only a faint, waxy hydrocarbon character reminiscent of paraffin or very light mineral oil. In fragrance applications, it serves primarily as an inert carrier rather than an active scent component. When pure, it may impart a subtle clean, slightly oily note that disappears quickly as the more volatile fragrance ingredients evaporate.
2D Molecular Structure
SMILES: CCCCCCCCCC
Chemistry, Properties & Perfumer Guide
The Chemistry
Decane is a straight-chain alkane hydrocarbon with ten carbon atoms (C10H22). As a saturated hydrocarbon, it’s chemically inert and non-reactive with most fragrance ingredients. Industrially produced through petroleum refining, decane is part of the paraffin series. Its lack of functional groups makes it useful as a neutral solvent that won’t participate in chemical reactions within fragrance formulations.
Physical & Chemical Properties
| Boiling Point | 174 °C |
|---|---|
| Flash Point | 46 °C |
| Density | 0.73 g/cm³ |
Perfumer Guide
| Application | Typical % | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Functional Fragrances | 5-20% | Up to 30% | Solvent/diluent |
| Cleaning Products | 10-25% | Up to 40% | Carrier for other actives |
Classic Accords
Tip: Use as a neutral diluent when extended evaporation control is needed for base notes.
Alternatives & Comparisons
Higher molecular weight alkane with slower evaporation rate, useful when even longer-lasting carrier properties are desired.
Safety, Regulatory & Sustainability
⚠ Regulatory Disclaimer
General reference only. Consult current IFRA Standards Library before formulating.
IFRA Status
No IFRA restrictions apply to decane.
GHS Classification
RIFM Assessment
RIFM considers decane safe for current fragrance use levels.
Sustainability
As a petroleum-derived product, decane’s sustainability depends on refinery practices. While not biodegradable, its low usage levels in fragrance applications minimize environmental impact. Synthetic production avoids agricultural land use concerns associated with some natural solvents.
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Ingredient Data Sheet
CAS 124-18-5Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 142.28 g/mol🔬 PubChem |
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 5🔬 PubChem |
| Boiling Point | 174.1 °C🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Vapor Pressure | 1 mmHg @ 25°C📊 OPERA |
| Flash Point | 46.1 °C🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Involatility Index | 0.0904💻 Calculated |
| log Kp (skin permeability) | -0.018💻 Calculated |
| SMILES | CCCCCCCCCC🔬 PubChem |
Volatility & Performance
| Fragrance Note | Top💻 Calculated |
| Volatility Class | Slow💻 Calculated |
| Persistence Score | 0.5 / 5💻 Calculated |
Sensory Thresholds
| Odor Detection Threshold | 12.1091 ppm (n=5)📖 van Gemert |
Physical data: PubChem (NIH/NLM), U.S. EPA CompTox Dashboard, EPA OPERA models, RDKit. Odor & flavor: Arctander (Perfume & Flavor Chemicals), Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients, Leffingwell. Thresholds: van Gemert (Compilations of Odour Threshold Values). Regulatory: IFRA Standards 51st, FEMA GRAS. Trade names: Surburg (Common Fragrance & Flavor Materials). All data compiled and cross-referenced for perfumertools.com.
Physicochemical Properties
DTXSID: DTXSID6024913
Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 142.286 g/mol🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Density | 0.725 g/cm^3🔬 EPA CTX |
| Boiling Point | 174.396 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Melting Point | -29.694 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Flash Point | 48.594 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Refractive Index | 1.414 Dimensionless📊 OPERA |
| Molar Volume | 193.603 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
Partition & Solubility
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 5.293 Log10 unitless🔬 EPA CTX |
| LogD (pH 5.5) | 5.425 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogD (pH 7.4) | 5.425 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogKoa (Octanol-Air) | 4.33 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| Water Solubility | 0 mol/L🔬 EPA CTX |
| Henry's Law Constant | 5.782 atm-m3/mole🔬 EPA CTX |
Transport Properties
| Vapor Pressure | 1.5 mmHg🔬 EPA CTX |
| Viscosity | 0.864 cP📊 OPERA |
| Surface Tension | 23.739 dyn/cm📊 OPERA |
| Thermal Conductivity | 130.43 mW/(m*K)📊 OPERA |
Molecular Descriptors
| Topological Polar Surface Area | 0 Ų💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Donors | 0 count💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Acceptors | 0 count💻 Computed |
| Rotatable Bonds | 7 count💻 Computed |
| Aromatic Rings | 0 count💻 Computed |
| Molar Refractivity | 48.378 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
| Polarizability | 19.178 Å^3📊 OPERA |
Data Sources:
🔬 EPA Experimental data from U.S. EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard & CTX APIs. 📊 OPERA Predicted using EPA's OPERA QSAR models. 💻 Computed Calculated from SMILES using RDKit.
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