Elemi Oil

#### Elemi Oil. This is steam distilled from the crude **Elemi **(see previous monograph). Distillation takes place almost exclusively in Europe and the U.S.A. It is not advisable to dry-distil or vacuum-distil the oil. Its high content of unstable monoterpenes which tend to form peroxides presents a hazard of explosion at comparatively modest heating of the elemi (oil). **Elemi Oil **is responsible for the fresh-lemony, peppery odor of crude elemi and of elemi resinoid. The main constituent of the oil is **Phellandrene**, a very unstable terpene, widely distributed in the plant kingdom. Small amounts of high-boiling, oxygenated components lend character and interesting dry-out notes to this oil which is found in amounts of *25 *to 28% in elemi. Elemi oil is colorless or pale yellow, mobile, and possessing a light, fresh, lemon-like, peppery odor which later dries out into a balsamic, slightly green-woody and sweet-spicy, pleasant note. The oil is not very stable, but antioxidants can retard decomposition of the phellandrene and dipentene. Peroxide-free oils can be "topped-off" in vacuum, whereby the bulk of the monoterpenes are removed (see **Elemol **below). However, the natural **Elemi**** ****Oil**** **is very useful as a freshener and topnote material in various perfume compositions, e.g. fougères, chypres, colognes, and even in the heavy-sweet floral bases. The partially deterpenized elemi oil will prove particularly interesting in the Oriental bases, muguet, orchid, etc. It blends well with cinnamon bark oil, olibanum, labdanum products, rosemary oil, lavandin, sage oils, etc. **Elemi**** ****Oil**** **is freely available, but should be freshly prepared from acceptable crude elemi; since the oil tends to resinify and polymerize, the odor can accordingly become disagreeable. Because of its main constituent and its optical rotation, elemi oil is frequently used as an adulterant or in the "constructing" of artificial essential oils which "conform to the specifications of this or that Codex or Pharmacopoeia". The oil has been found as an adulterant in lemon oil, black pepper oil, dill weed oil, angelica seed oil and numerous other essential oils. **Elemol**** **is the commercial designation for a processed elemi oil from which the lower boiling terpenes have been removed. **Elemol **is a yellow or pale yellow, somewhat viscous liquid of peppery-balsamic odor and good stability.