Linoleic acid (CAS 60-33-3) — Citrus N/A Note Fragrance Ingredient
Linoleic acid
CAS 60-33-3
What Is Linoleic acid?
Linoleic acid is an essential fatty acid found in vegetable oils like sunflower and safflower oil. It’s a key component in skincare products and some food items. While not commonly used in perfumery, it appears in cosmetic formulations for its moisturizing properties.
Safety Profile
GENERALLY SAFEWhat Does Linoleic acid Smell Like?
Linoleic acid itself has minimal odor, often described as faintly fatty or waxy. In high concentrations, it may carry a slight rancid note characteristic of unsaturated fatty acids. It’s primarily valued for its functional properties rather than olfactory characteristics in fragrance applications.
2D Molecular Structure
SMILES: CCCCC\C=C/C\C=C/CCCCCCCC(O)=O
Chemistry, Properties & Perfumer Guide
The Chemistry
Linoleic acid is an omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid with an 18-carbon chain and two cis double bonds. As an essential fatty acid, it cannot be synthesized by humans and must be obtained through diet. Industrially, it’s typically derived through hydrolysis of plant triglycerides followed by fractional distillation. The cis,cis-9,12-octadecadienoic acid structure makes it prone to oxidation.
Physical & Chemical Properties
| Melting Point | -5 °C |
|---|---|
| Boiling Point | 230 °C at 1 mmHg |
Perfumer Guide
| Application | Typical % | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmetics | 1-5% | Up to 10% | Skin-conditioning agent |
| Food | Trace | Varies | Nutritional component |
Classic Accords
Tip: Use as a skin-conditioning base rather than for olfactory properties.
Alternatives & Comparisons
Monounsaturated alternative with similar emollient properties but different oxidative stability.
Omega-6 fatty acid with additional health benefits in skincare applications.
Safety, Regulatory & Sustainability
⚠ Regulatory Disclaimer
General reference only. Consult current IFRA Standards Library before formulating.
IFRA Status
Not restricted by IFRA
RIFM Assessment
Not currently assessed by RIFM as it’s not a fragrance material.
Sustainability
Linoleic acid is typically sourced from renewable plant oils. The environmental impact depends on agricultural practices of source crops. Synthetic production exists but is less common. As a biodegradable compound, it poses minimal environmental risk when properly disposed.
Explore Linoleic acid
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References
- Gunstone, F. D. (1996). Fatty Acid and Lipid Chemistry. Springer.
- PubChem Compound Summary for Linoleic acid PubChem CID 5280450
Data: PubChem (NIH), PubMed, RIFM, IFRA. Last reviewed: Apr 2026.
Report a data errorPerfumer’s Notes
Odor: [‘fatty’, ‘oily’]
MW: 280.4
LogP: 6.8
Ingredient Data Sheet
CAS 60-33-3Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 280.4 g/mol🔬 PubChem |
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 6.8🔬 PubChem |
| Boiling Point | 228.9 °C🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Vapor Pressure | 0 mmHg @ 25°C📊 OPERA |
| Flash Point | 194 °C🔬 EPA CompTox |
| log Kp (skin permeability) | 0.418💻 Calculated |
| SMILES | CCCCCC=CCC=CCCCCCCCC(=O)O🔬 PubChem |
Volatility & Performance
| Fragrance Note | Base💻 Calculated |
| Volatility Class | Very slow💻 Calculated |
| Persistence Score | 18.7 / 5💻 Calculated |
Odor & Flavor
| Primary Descriptors | fatty• leffingwell |
| Functional Groups | alkene💻 RDKit |
| “Peculiar fruity-green, more grassy, less woody odor, as compared to the aldehyde itself. Much sweeter, not nearly as dry or harsh.”📖 Arctander | |
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: DTXSID2025505
Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 280.452 g/mol🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Density | 0.901 g/cm^3🔬 EPA CTX |
| Boiling Point | 365.2 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Melting Point | -8.108 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Flash Point | 194 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Refractive Index | 1.478 Dimensionless📊 OPERA |
| Molar Volume | 307.512 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
Partition & Solubility
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 7.05 Log10 unitless🔬 EPA CTX |
| LogD (pH 5.5) | 6.251 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogD (pH 7.4) | 4.489 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogKoa (Octanol-Air) | 10.61 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| Water Solubility | 0 mol/L🔬 EPA CTX |
| Henry's Law Constant | 0 atm-m3/mole🔬 EPA CTX |
Transport Properties
| Vapor Pressure | 0 mmHg🔬 EPA CTX |
| Viscosity | 11.891 cP📊 OPERA |
| Surface Tension | 30.724 dyn/cm📊 OPERA |
| Thermal Conductivity | 153.885 mW/(m*K)📊 OPERA |
Molecular Descriptors
| Topological Polar Surface Area | 37.3 Ų💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Donors | 1 count💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Acceptors | 1 count💻 Computed |
| Rotatable Bonds | 14 count💻 Computed |
| Aromatic Rings | 0 count💻 Computed |
| Molar Refractivity | 87.121 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
| Polarizability | 34.537 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.
