Ethyl linoleate (CAS 544-35-4) — Woody Base Note Fragrance Ingredient
Ethyl linoleate
CAS 544-35-4
What Is Ethyl linoleate?
Ethyl linoleate is a synthetic fragrance ingredient often used as a fixative in perfumes and personal care products. It’s found in body lotions, soaps, and some fine fragrances. This ingredient helps extend the longevity of scents on skin, making it valuable for creating perfumes that last throughout the day without needing reapplication.
Safety Profile
GENERALLY SAFEWhat Does Ethyl linoleate Smell Like?
Ethyl linoleate has a mild, fatty odor with faint herbal undertones. It serves primarily as a fixative rather than a distinctive scent note, subtly enhancing and prolonging other fragrance components. In formulations, it provides a smooth, slightly waxy background that helps blend sharper top notes into the heart accord. Its dry-down is virtually odorless but crucial for maintaining structural integrity in complex compositions.
In Famous Fragrances
Fragrance associations may not reflect actual formulations.
Used as an invisible backbone to amplify the longevity of green floral notes without adding detectable odor.
Employed as a skin-smoothing fixative to extend the delicate jasmine and white musk accord.
2D Molecular Structure
SMILES: CCCCC\C=C/C\C=C/CCCCCCCC(=O)OCC
Chemistry, Properties & Perfumer Guide
The Chemistry
Ethyl linoleate is an ethyl ester of linoleic acid, belonging to the fatty acid ester class. It’s typically synthesized through esterification of linoleic acid with ethanol. As a synthetic compound, it doesn’t occur naturally in significant quantities. The molecule’s long carbon chain and ester group contribute to its fixative properties by slowing the evaporation of more volatile fragrance components.
Physical & Chemical Properties
| Appearance | Colorless to pale yellow liquid |
|---|---|
| Boiling Point | Approx. 200-220°C (estimated) |
Perfumer Guide
| Application | Typical % | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine Fragrance | 1-3% | Up to 5% | Fixative base note |
| Body Care | 0.5-2% | Up to 3% | Skin-smoothing agent |
Classic Accords
Tip: Use in trace amounts to extend citrus top notes without altering their character.
Alternatives & Comparisons
Similar fixative properties with slightly more pronounced fatty odor profile.
Offers comparable fixative effects with a fruitier background note.
Safety, Regulatory & Sustainability
⚠ Regulatory Disclaimer
General reference only. Consult current IFRA Standards Library before formulating.
IFRA Status
Not restricted by IFRA. No usage limitations reported.
RIFM Assessment
Recognized as safe for current usage levels in fragrance applications by RIFM.
Sustainability
As a synthetic material, ethyl linoleate production avoids agricultural impacts but requires petrochemical feedstocks. Modern manufacturing processes focus on energy efficiency and reduced solvent use. Being used in small quantities, its environmental footprint per finished product is minimal.
Explore Ethyl linoleate
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References
- Bickers et al. (2003). Safety assessment of fatty acid derivatives. Food and Chemical Toxicology. PMID 14505838
Data: PubChem (NIH), PubMed, RIFM, IFRA. Last reviewed: Apr 2026.
Report a data errorPhysicochemical Properties
DTXSID: DTXSID1060269
Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 308.506 g/mol🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Density | 0.87 g/cm^3📊 OPERA |
| Boiling Point | 370.67 °C📊 OPERA |
| Melting Point | -22.403 °C📊 OPERA |
| Flash Point | 122.833 °C📊 OPERA |
| Refractive Index | 1.465 Dimensionless📊 OPERA |
| Molar Volume | 349.382 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
Partition & Solubility
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 7.354 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogD (pH 5.5) | 7.354 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogD (pH 7.4) | 7.354 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogKoa (Octanol-Air) | 9.37 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| Water Solubility | 0 mol/L📊 OPERA |
| Henry's Law Constant | 0 atm-m3/mole📊 OPERA |
Transport Properties
| Vapor Pressure | 0 mmHg📊 OPERA |
| Viscosity | 5.693 cP📊 OPERA |
| Surface Tension | 29.567 dyn/cm📊 OPERA |
| Thermal Conductivity | 151.311 mW/(m*K)📊 OPERA |
Molecular Descriptors
| Topological Polar Surface Area | 26.3 Ų💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Donors | 0 count💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Acceptors | 2 count💻 Computed |
| Rotatable Bonds | 15 count💻 Computed |
| Aromatic Rings | 0 count💻 Computed |
| Molar Refractivity | 96.597 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
| Polarizability | 38.294 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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