What Is Ethyl Tiglate?
Ethyl Tiglate is an aroma ingredient belonging to the wide family of esters. It was first reported by European chemists in the early 1900s when they were cataloguing flavor compounds found in tropical fruits. Today perfumers know it as a practical building block that adds lift and realism to many fruity accords.
Commercial batches are produced by reacting tiglic acid with food-grade ethanol in the presence of an acid catalyst. The process is straightforward and produces high yields, making the material readily available all year round. While trace amounts occur naturally in certain fruits and wines the version used by the fragrance industry is almost always synthetic, ensuring consistent purity and quality.
At room temperature the compound presents as a clear to very slightly yellow liquid with a thin, mobile texture. It dissolves easily in alcohol and most fragrance oils which simplifies compounding in both fine fragrance and functional products.
Thanks to its reliable performance and easy access Ethyl Tiglate is considered a workhorse rather than an exotic specialty. Suppliers keep it stocked in large volumes so price tends to sit in the lower range for perfumery esters, allowing creative use even in cost-sensitive projects.
You will find it in everything from high-end eau de parfum to everyday household cleaners thanks to its stability across pH ranges and its resistance to heat and light during manufacturing.
What Does Ethyl Tiglate Smell Like?
Perfumers group Ethyl Tiglate under the fruity family.
Off a blotter the first impression is a bright fruit burst, similar to biting into a crisp apple or pear. Within a few moments a gentle nutty tone appears, then an unmistakable green olive nuance creeps in adding a mild earthy depth. This secondary facet prevents the fruitiness from becoming candy-like and gives the note a satisfying natural twist.
In the traditional perfume pyramid notes are classified as top, middle or base depending on how fast they evaporate. Ethyl Tiglate behaves as a top-to-early-middle note. It arrives quickly to announce a composition yet clings long enough to bridge into the heart before fading.
Projection is moderate: it radiates clearly in the opening without overpowering nearby materials. Longevity is impressive for an ester, remaining detectable on a paper blotter well past the 24-hour mark which allows the subtle olive earthiness to whisper long after the brighter facets have softened.
How & Where To Use Ethyl Tiglate
If you enjoy ingredients that behave predictably and blend without fuss Ethyl Tiglate is a pleasure to have on the bench. It pours easily, mixes quickly and the odor shows up right away so you can judge its effects in minutes.
Perfumers reach for it whenever they need a fresh realistic fruit accent that is not sugary. It slots neatly into apple, pear and stone-fruit accords, or brings a ripe twist to melon and tropical themes. Because of the built-in olive nuance it also connects fruity top notes to herbal green or fig hearts, acting like an aromatic bridge that keeps the composition coherent.
Compared with popular esters like ethyl maltol or ethyl 3-hexenyl acetate, Ethyl Tiglate feels earthier and warmer. You would choose it when the brief calls for an orchard feel with a hint of countryside rather than a candy shop vibe. It also partners beautifully with nutty materials such as hazelnut or sesame CO2 where the shared warm facet creates depth without heaviness.
In fine fragrance typical usage sits around 0.1-1 percent of the concentrate. Functional products with strong bases can tolerate more, sometimes up to 2 percent, yet even trace levels will be noticeable thanks to the material’s persistence. At very low concentrations the profile leans bright and juicy. Push it past 1 percent and the olive-earth shadow grows, which can be desirable in fougère or chypre styles but may muddy a clean fruity cologne.
Ethyl Tiglate is stable in soaps detergents and candles, so you can build continuity across product lines without worrying about discoloration or odor shift. The main limitation is in very aquatic or citrus colognes where the nutty side might feel out of place.
No special prep work is needed beyond a standard 10 percent alcohol dilution for smelling. The material is already mobile and colorless so it goes straight into a blend without heating or filtering.
Safely Information
Working with any aroma chemical calls for a few common-sense precautions to keep both you and your creation safe.
- Always dilute before evaluation: Prepare a 10 percent solution in alcohol or dipropylene glycol before smelling to avoid nasal fatigue and accidental overexposure.
- Never sniff from the bottle: Waft the scent from a blotter or strip instead. Direct inhalation can overwhelm your senses and irritate mucous membranes.
- Ventilation: Blend in a well-ventilated space or under a fume hood so vapor does not build up in the room.
- Personal protective equipment: Wear gloves and safety glasses. This prevents accidental skin contact or splashes to the eyes while pipetting.
- Health considerations: Some individuals may experience skin irritation or allergic reactions. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding consult a medical professional before prolonged handling. Short low-level exposure is generally safe but sustained high-concentration contact can be harmful.
Always consult the most recent Material Safety Data Sheet supplied with your batch and review it periodically as updates occur. Follow current IFRA guidelines regarding maximum dosage in finished products to ensure consumer safety.
Storage And Disposal
When kept in ideal conditions Ethyl Tiglate remains fresh for roughly 24 to 36 months before any noticeable drift in odor. Unopened original drums often last even longer but once a bottle is in use aim to finish it within two years for best quality.
Refrigeration is not essential yet a spot in the back of a dedicated fragrance fridge can squeeze a few extra months out of the material. If fridge space is limited a stable shelf in a cool dark cabinet away from windows, radiators and hot equipment is perfectly acceptable.
Choose bottles that close with polycone caps. The soft liner inside these caps forms an airtight seal that keeps volatile notes from escaping and oxygen from sneaking in. Dropper bottles look convenient but the built-in pipette leaves a gap around the glass stem which allows slow evaporation and oxidation so reserve those for short-term sampling only.
Oxidation accelerates when air fills half the bottle. Decant into smaller containers as the level drops so the remaining liquid sits near the shoulder. Topping up with inert gas like nitrogen works too but simply downsizing the bottle is cheaper and just as effective.
Label every container clearly with the name Ethyl Tiglate the date of decant and any hazard pictograms required by your local regulations. Good labeling prevents mix-ups and lets colleagues know how to handle spills or skin contact.
For disposal check municipal rules first. In most regions small workshop quantities can be diluted heavily with warm soapy water then flushed down the drain while running more water to prevent pooling. Larger volumes should go to a licensed chemical recycler or hazardous waste center. The ester structure breaks down readily in the environment so it is considered readily biodegradable but concentrated pours straight into soil or waterways should still be avoided.
Summary
Ethyl Tiglate is a fruity ester that greets the nose with crisp apple-pear brightness then settles into a subtle nutty green olive tonality. Perfumers love it for adding lifelike orchard freshness without tipping into candy territory and for its knack of linking fruity tops with herbal or fig-like hearts.
It costs little, blends easily and behaves well in everything from fine perfume to soap and candle wax making it a dependable workhorse on any bench. Stability is solid across pH and heat yet its olive facet can grow dominant at high dose so moderation and thoughtful pairing are key.
If you need an ingredient that is fun to explore, inexpensive to stock and happy to play in countless accords Ethyl Tiglate deserves a spot in your toolkit.