Database/Perfuming/Heptanal
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Heptanal natural?

It depends. Heptanal is co-produced naturally from castor oil pyrolysis (with undecylenic acid) and separately made synthetically by petrochemical oxo-process hydroformylation.

INCI nameHeptanal
CAS111-71-7
FormulaC7H14O · 114.19 Da
FunctionPerfuming
FeedstockOne commercial route pyrolyzes castor oil (ricinoleic acid)…

Why the score varies

This ingredient is made commercially by more than one route, and ISO 16128 scores the feedstock actually used. Without a supplier certificate of origin the value cannot be claimed.

RouteFeedstockNOIShareNotes
castor oil pyrolysisricinoleic acid from castor oil (natural)1.00~50%
oxo-synthesis hydroformylationpetrochemical alkene0.00~50%
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

Two industrial routes diverge: castor oil pyrolysis (natural, ricinoleic acid cleavage) vs oxo-synthesis hydroformylation of a petrochemical alkene (synthetic); relative dominance uncertain, so no single value is assigned.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

Where it comes from

One commercial route pyrolyzes castor oil (ricinoleic acid) to yield heptanal alongside undecylenic acid, a natural oleochemical process. An alternative route makes heptanal by hydroformylation (oxo-synthesis) of a petrochemical alkene.

In plain English

A fragrance ingredient with a fatty, fruity odor. It can be made naturally as a byproduct of processing castor oil, or synthetically from petrochemical building blocks; both routes are used commercially.

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Structure

2D structure of Heptanal

heptanal

PubChem CID 8130 ↗

References

  1. 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
  2. 2Heptanal. PubChem CID 8130. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3HEPTANAL. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4HEPTANAL. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=HEPTANAL