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Benzyl Cyanide

PROHIBITION · CAP
CAS
140-29-4
EC
Material type
other
Canonical source
document derived
chemicals · No. 302

Arctander monograph

Perfume and Flavor Chemicals, page 135.

herbaceousgreensweetfloral
MW
117.15
BP
234°C
MP
Sp.Gr.
1.02
Refractive n
Rotation
Appearance

Colorless mobile liquid.

Solubility

Very slightly soluble in water, soluble in alcohol and oils.

Odor

Peculiar herbaceous-green, yet very sweet and heavy-floral in its undertones. It is reminiscent of the odor of Orange leaf water absolute, also of Orange flower water absolute.

Uses in perfumery

Benzyl cyanide (absolutely pure) is interesting for use in Jasmin, Tuberose, Orange flower substitutes, bases, etc. and in general as a powerful herbaceous-green note in heavy floral fragrances.

Production

Produced from Benzyl chloride and Sodium cyanide.

Document-derived

IFRA restrictions

Prohibition · natural-source cap
The pure material is prohibited as a fragrance ingredient. Natural extracts containing it are permitted only while the concentration in the finished product stays at or below 0.01%. This cap applies uniformly across all 18 IFRA categories.
On the basis of established maximum concentration levels of this substance in commercially available natural sources (like essential oils and extracts), exposure to this substance from the use of these oils and extracts is not significant and the use of these oils is authorized as long as the level of Benzyl cyanide in the finished product does not exceed 0.01% (100 ppm).
CategoryKindMax %NotesSource
Category 1Prohibition · cap0.01%See note above
DOC
Category 2Prohibition · cap0.01%See note above
DOC
Category 3Prohibition · cap0.01%See note above
DOC
Category 4Prohibition · cap0.01%See note above
DOC
Category 5AProhibition · cap0.01%See note above
DOC
Category 5BProhibition · cap0.01%See note above
DOC
Category 5CProhibition · cap0.01%See note above
DOC
Category 5DProhibition · cap0.01%See note above
DOC
Category 6Prohibition · cap0.01%See note above
DOC
Category 7AProhibition · cap0.01%See note above
DOC
Category 7BProhibition · cap0.01%See note above
DOC
Category 8Prohibition · cap0.01%See note above
DOC
Category 9Prohibition · cap0.01%See note above
DOC
Category 10AProhibition · cap0.01%See note above
DOC
Category 10BProhibition · cap0.01%See note above
DOC
Category 11AProhibition · cap0.01%See note above
DOC
Category 11BProhibition · cap0.01%See note above
DOC
Category 12Prohibition · cap0.01%See note above
DOC

Compliance-support only. Values resolved from the current IFRA corpus; each row cites the document excerpt it came from. Not a substitute for a qualified safety assessor.

IFRA Annex I

Found naturally in

Natural complex substances (NCSs) in which this material typically occurs.

NCSBotanicalTypical %
Karo karunde absoluteLeptactina senegambica Hook f.5%
Jasmine sambac absoluteJasminum sambac (L.) Aiton1.2%
Tuberose AbsolutePoliantes tuberosa L.0.8%
Orange Flower Water AbsoluteCitrus aurantium L. spp. Amara Link0.5%
Orange flower oil, bitter (neroli and neroli bigarade)Citrus aurantium L. spp. Amara Link0.2%
Genet absoluteSpartium junceum L.0.1%
Gardenia tahitensis oilGardenia tahitensis DC.0.1%
Magnolia flower oilMagnolia grandiflora L.0.09%
Jasmine absolute (grandiflorum)Jasminum grandiflorum L.0.07%
Cananga OilCananga odorata (Lam.) Hook. f. &Thomson oil (forma genuine Steenis)0.05%
Ylang, Ylang oil, terpene-freeCananga odorata (Lam.) Hook. f. &Thomson oil (forma genuine Steenis)0.03%
Identity
Aliases · 7
140-29-4Benzyl cyanideBenzeneacetonitrileBenzylnitrilePhenyl acetonitrilePhenyl acetyl nitrilePhenylacetonitrile
Compliance note. Restriction data is sourced directly from IFRA publications and preserved with its document excerpt. Perfume Foundry is a compliance-support tool — not a substitute for a qualified safety assessor (CPSR / PIF).