Chemical Properties
Butyl isobutyrate is a colorless liquid, almost insoluble in water,
miscible with alcohol and oils. Sp.Gr. 0.862.
B.P. 156℃. Butyl isobutyrate has a strong, fresh, fruity odor (apple, banana) and sweet, pineapple-like taste.
Occurrence
Reported present in Roman chamomile essential oil, papaya, quince, apple, honey, apricot, banana and cheeses.
Uses
Butyl isobutyrate is used in flavor compositions for imitation
Apple, Apricot, Banana, Arak, Butter, Cherry,
Ginger, Gooseberry, Hop, Melon, Blackberry,
Orange, Peach, Pineapple, Raspberry, Strawberry, Tangerine, etc. Concentrations in the finished product are
normally about 40 ppm, except in chewing
gum - up to 2000 ppm, (Juicy-fruit and Tuttifrutti type of flavors for chewing gum).
Preparation
Prepared from the corresponding acid and n-butyl alcohol by esterification in the presence of concentrated H2SO4 with or
without solvent (boiling benzene). Or Butyl isobutyrate is formed by direct esterificalion of n-Butyl
alcohol with iso-Butyric acid under azeotropic
conditions.
Definition
ChEBI: Butylisobutyrate is a carboxylic ester.
Aroma threshold values
Detection: 80 to 170 ppb
Taste threshold values
Taste characteristics at 30 ppm: fruity, sweet, pineapple, apple, cherry, tutti-frutti, banana.
