Linseed Oil Absolute

#### Linseed Oil Absolute. Among a wealth of unusual products which are often produced only upon demand, we must include the alcohol-extraction product of raw **Linseed Oil**. This kind of perfumery material represents the results of various perfumers' study of natural flowers and their fragrance. In their intense search for notes with which they can duplicate certain of nature's fragrances, the perfumers often have to use materials other than the conventional flower extracts or straight synthetic chemicals. If a perfumer feels that there is a garlic-like note in a rose-base which he must duplicate, he will not hesitate to study the garlic- type odors available in his laboratory or from a well-furnished supply-house: for example, absolute of asafoetida. **Linseed**** ****Oil**** ****Absolute**** **is obviously an example of just such a situation. When perfumers tried to duplicate the finer shades of lily, lilac, orange flower, jasmin, tuberose, gardenia, etc., they found that the conventional amyl cinnamic aldehyde was not satisfactory. Modifications with hexyl cinnamic aldehyde, undecanolide, etc. did not solve the problem. Rancid castor oil has notes similar to the unwanted notes in amyl cinnamic aldehyde (poor grade ACA, heptanal-odor, amyl nonenal-odor, etc.). Beeswax absolute (see monograph) does not lend the natural fatty-greasy odor of the flower petals. But **Linseed Oil **(raw, but not rancid!) definitely has notes like those of the flower waxes, notes which are particularly distinguishable in the "enfleurage"-type absolutes. **Linseed**** ****Oil**** **is hydraulically expressed from the seeds of **Linum**** ****Usitatissimum**. This small plant originated in western Asia and is widely cultivated all over the world. Argentina, Canada, India, U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. are main producers of linseed. The raw (crude) linseed oil is a yellow, oily liquid of faint odor. It oxidizes easily upon exposure to air. The oil consists mainly of the glyceryl esters of oleic, stearic, myristic, palmitic, linoleic and linolenic acids. Linseed oil is slightly soluble in cold ethyl alcohol. Only raw (i.e. unboiled and unoxidized) linseed oil can be used for preparation of absolute. **Poppyseed**** ****Oil**** **has a similar odor, but is not nearly as freely available as linseed oil. **Linseed Oil Absolute **is a yellowish to light amber colored, oily liquid of mild, fatty-oily odor, reminiscent of the odor of freshly expressed linseed oil (after proper ageing). The odor is also reminiscent of the slightly fishy-animal-like odor of fresh cod liver oil and of a refined oleic acid. The absolute is not commercially available, but it is prepared upon request. Some consumers prefer to produce their own linseed oil absolute. The use of this material is limited to the above flower oil duplications and similar perfumery problems.