Industrial-grade 98% 1-Hexanol CAS 111-27-3

What is n-Hexanol?

n-Hexanol, also known as 1-hexanol or n-hexanal alcohol, is a six-carbon straight-chain saturated fatty primary alcohol. It is also naturally found in trace amounts in citrus fruits and berries. Its chemical formula is usually written as:

C6H14O (CH3(CH2)5OH, CAS No.: 111-27-3, molecular weight approximately 102.17)

It is a colorless, transparent liquid at room temperature, with a faint bluish aroma of tender leaves and branches, and a slight hint of wine, fruit, and fat. Its density is approximately 0.814–0.819 g/cm³, melting point is approximately -46.7–-52°C, boiling point is approximately 156–158°C, flash point is approximately 59°C, and refractive index is approximately 1.417–1.419. Hexanol is slightly soluble in water (approximately 6 g/L at 25°C) and miscible with ethanol, propylene glycol, and oils.

From a molecular structure perspective, n-hexanol consists of a six-carbon straight chain and a terminal hydroxyl group (-OH), classifying it as a typical aliphatic primary alcohol. It is naturally found in fruits and possesses a fresh fruity and tender leafy aroma, forming a component of many fruit fragrances. It has been assessed by FEMA as a safe food flavoring agent. Furthermore, the hydroxyl group allows it to participate in reactions such as esterification—this "natural fruity aroma + safe flavoring" property forms the basis for the application of n-hexanol in the fields of food flavorings and daily-use fragrances.

Chemically, n-hexanol exhibits typical properties of primary alcohols: it can be oxidized to hexanoic acid, and can be esterified with other acids to form hexanoic acid esters; it is flammable, and its vapor can form an explosive mixture with air; it is also slightly irritating to the eyes. It should be stored in a sealed container, away from fire and heat sources.

Non-industrial grade n-hexanol refers to products intended for food, daily chemical, and scientific research applications, primarily including food-grade (food flavoring) and reagent-grade specifications. Compared to industrial grade, non-industrial grade products place greater emphasis on the following indicators:

Purity and Impurity Control

Food-grade and reagent-grade products require high content of main components and strict control of impurities and heavy metals to ensure safety during use.

aroma

It should have a fresh and pure fruity aroma and tender leaf scent, and aroma is the core indicator of the quality of spices.

Density and refractive index

Density (0.814~0.819) and refractive index are common indicators for judging purity and quality, and they must meet specifications.

Boiling range

Boiling range reflects purity and composition, and must meet specifications.

What are the uses of n-Hexanol?

1. Fragrances and flavorings

( 1 ) n-Hexyl alcohol is a safe food flavoring agent as assessed by FEMA. It has a fresh fruity and tender leafy aroma and is used as a flavoring ingredient in food flavorings to help blend fruit and grass flavors. It is used to flavor beverages, candies and ice cream and other foods.

( 2 ) Hexanol is used as a fresh fruity fragrance component in daily chemical fragrances. It is used in the fragrance blending of daily products such as perfumes, soaps, detergents and air fresheners to give the products a fresh and natural scent.

2. Solvents (Core Application)

Hexanol is an important solvent, used as a solvent for dyes, rubber, specialty printing inks, oils and natural resins, and also as a co-solvent for nitrocellulose. With its excellent solubility for a variety of resins and oils, it serves the coatings, inks and rubber industries.

3. Plasticizer raw materials

Hexanol is an important raw material for the synthesis of hexyl ester plasticizers, used to produce plasticizers such as hexyl adipate, which helps improve the flexibility and processing performance of plastics such as PVC.

4. Surfactant raw materials

Hexanol is a primary alcohol surfactant raw material that can be used in industrial processes to enhance interfacial properties and help improve emulsification, wetting and dispersion effects. It is used in daily chemical and industrial surfactant systems.

5. Synthetic lubricants and additives

Hexanol is used in the production of synthetic lubricating oils. Its ester derivatives have good lubricating properties and can also be used as additive components in lubricating oils.

6. Scientific research and laboratory applications (reagent grade)

Hexanol is a commonly used fatty alcohol reagent in the laboratory. It can be used in alcohol chemistry, esterification reactions and aroma component analysis, and is also an important reference for alcohol standards in chromatographic analysis.

7. Teaching and Popular Science Experiments

Hexanol can be used for teaching demonstrations and experiments on the properties of alcohols, helping students understand the structure, oxidation, and esterification reactions of primary alcohols. It is a commonly used teaching reagent in university chemistry laboratories.

8. Custom synthesis and fine chemicals

Hexanol is a raw material for the synthesis of hexanoate esters (such as hexanoate fragrances) and can be used for custom synthesis and fragrance formulation development.

9. Other Applications

With the development of food and daily chemical industry, the application scope of non-industrial grade n-hexanol is expanding continuously, such as in fragrance research, supply of standard reagent, analytical testing, etc.

Summary

n-Hexanol or 1-hexanol is a six-carbon straight chain primary alcohol. It is colourless and transparent with a fresh fruity and leafy smell. It is naturally present in trace amounts in citrus and berry fruits, and has been evaluated as safe by FEMA (Federal Energy and Material Manufacturers Association). In our daily lives we are in indirect contact with it through the supply chain of fragrance-containing daily necessities, printing inks, plastic products, paints and daily chemical cleaning products. In non-industrial applications, food-grade and reagent-grade n-hexanol are widely used in the fruit flavouring of edible flavourings, the blending of daily-use fragrances, research on alcohol chemistry and aroma components, teaching experiments, and the synthesis of hexanoate esters and other fine chemicals. It is an important aliphatic primary alcohol which links “daily use” and “food, cosmetics and scientific research”.