Database/Perfuming/Isoamyl Butyrate
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Isoamyl Butyrate natural?

It depends. Isoamyl alcohol and butyric acid each have a fermentation/fusel-oil route and a cheaper petrochemical route; the latter dominates bulk supply.

INCI nameIsoamyl Butyrate
CAS106-27-4
FormulaC9H18O2 · 158.24 Da
FunctionPerfuming
FeedstockMost isoamyl butyrate is made from petrochemical isoamyl…

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
Fusel-oil naturalIsoamyl alcohol from grain-fermentation fusel oil esterified with fermentation-derived butyric acid1.00~15-20%
Petrochemical syntheticIsoamyl alcohol from petrochemical pentane fraction esterified with oxo-process butyric acid0.00~80-85%
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

Ester of isoamyl (C5H11-) + butyryl (C3H7CO-) fragments; both components are natural in the fusel-oil route, petrochemical in the synthetic route -- not blended.
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

Most isoamyl butyrate is made from petrochemical isoamyl alcohol (pentane-fraction derived) and oxo-process butyric acid. A natural-labelled version from fusel-oil isoamyl alcohol and fermentation butyric acid is sold at smaller scale.

In plain English

A fruity, pineapple-like fragrance ingredient. It's an ester of isoamyl alcohol and butyric acid, each obtainable from fermentation byproducts or from petroleum; most commercial supply today is the synthetic version.

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Structure

2D structure of Isoamyl Butyrate

3-methylbutyl butanoate

PubChem CID 7795 ↗

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. 2Isoamyl Butyrate. PubChem CID 7795. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3ISOAMYL BUTYRATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4ISOAMYL BUTYRATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=ISOAMYL%20BUTYRATE