Database/Perfuming/Nonanal
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Nonanal natural?

It depends. Dominant supply is the natural fatty-acid ozonolysis co-product with azelaic acid; a smaller share is petrochemically synthesised.

INCI nameNonanal
CAS124-19-6
FormulaC9H18O · 142.24 Da
FunctionPerfuming
FeedstockMost nonanal is a co-product of splitting natural…

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
Oleochemical (oleic acid ozonolysis, azelaic acid co-product)oleic acid (vegetable/tallow oil)1.00~55%
Petrochemical synthesispetrochemical aldehyde synthesis0.00~45%
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 routes: (a) co-product of oleic-acid ozonolysis with azelaic acid — every carbon is oleic-acid carbon, 1.0; (b) petrochemical aldehyde synthesis, 0.0.
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 nonanal is a co-product of splitting natural oleic acid (from vegetable/tallow oils) to make azelaic acid, keeping the full natural carbon skeleton. A minority is produced by petrochemical aldehyde synthesis.

In plain English

A citrus-smelling aroma ingredient. It is most often made as a co-product when oleic acid (a natural fat) is split apart to make azelaic acid, though a synthetic petroleum-based route also exists.

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Structure

2D structure of Nonanal

nonanal

PubChem CID 31289 ↗

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. 2Nonanal. PubChem CID 31289. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3NONANAL. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4NONANAL. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=NONANAL