Orris Resinoid

#### Orris “Resinoid”. The benzene- or ethyl alcohol extraction products of orris rhizome are commercially called **Orris**** ****Resin**** **or **Orris**** ****Resinoid**, although they are actually concrètes according to the definitions in this work (see Concrète and Resin, Part One of this book). Their consistency is syrupy, very viscous or honeylike, and this fact has probably caused the trade to name them “resinoids”. The product obtained from alcohol extraction is equivalent to a pharmaceutical extract (soft extract). These products are derived from *peeled** *orris rhizomes, usually the **Iris**** ****Pallida**** **from Italy. rarely from the Moroccan **Iris Germanica. **Since alcohol is a particularly good solvent for plant colors and other ballast matter, etc., it is preferable to remove the cortex of the rhizomes prior to extraction and thus obtain a lighter colored “resin”. Alcohol extraction gives the highest yield but the hardest “resin”; next comes acetone, while benzene gives a lower yield, a handy viscosity of the extract, and a finer odor of the product. With petroleum ether, the yield is still smaller, but paler and very fine in odor. The honeylike consistency and the amber color of the petroleum ether extract make this an attractive but also rather expensive “resinoid” of orris rhizome. The petroleum ether extract is mainly used for further treatment into purified “resinoids (see below) or for **Orris Absolute**, see that monograph. **Orris**** ****Resin **(so-called) from alcohol extraction is a low-cost, very hard and rather dark product which is used in soap perfumery for its excellent fixative value and deep-sweet, slightly woody-tobacco-like odor. The alcohol-extracted products are also distinguished by their “winy” topnote (partly due to the ethyl alcohol) and their sweet. root-like undertone. This “resin” blends well with all the ionones, methylionones, cedarwood and cedarwood derivatives, sandalwood, vetiver, cyperus, mimosa, heliotropine, labdanum product& coumarin, bergamot, sage clary, amyl salicylate, linalool, isoeugenol, ethyl cinnamate, anisyl acetone, etc. It gives interesting notes and undertones in “tabac” type perfumes, “warm” bases, Oriental bases, chypres, colognes, “forest” type bases, etc. The benzene “resinoid” of orris rhizome is of brownish or dark orange color, a very viscous liquid or semi-pourable mass. Its odor is far superior to that of the ethyl alcohol extract. It is customary, however, to purify and solibilize the hydrocarbon extracts further by washing them with alcohol. This leads to an “absolute from so-called resinoid”, which is actually the true absolute of orris rhizome according to the definitions in this book. The author disagrees with the frequent statements in literature that these “soluble resinoids are of relatively low price and thus applicable in soap perfumes”. The true alcohol-soluble part of the benzene extract from orris rhizome is at least as expensive as geranium oil, but it will not give an appreciable effect in soap at the same low level as does geranium oil. If the odorless myristic acid (which is present in modest amount in the above extracts) is removed by alkali washing, we arrive at a true type of absolute of orris rhizome, consisting of soluble, neutral odorants only (a “purified resinoid”). Various specialties of this composition are offered by the manufacturers of orris extracts. The cost of these purified extracts will inevitably limit their application to high-class lotion perfumes, cream perfumes, etc.; they are hardly used at all in the large brand soap perfumes. For flavoring purposes, it is still customary to digest the pulverized rhizomes in water or weak alcohol to which a small amount of sulphuric or hydrochloric acid is added. After 24 hours, the mixture is subjected to distillation with or without a previous one-hour period of refluxing. The distillate may then be redistilled to produce an **Orris Aroma **with the correct amount of alcohol. There are various explanations for the fact that such distillates are more aromatic than those obtained without the use of acid. Chemically, there seems to be an isomerization of the irones, but this should not affect the odor strength significantly. Many flavor houses produce their own **Orris Aroma **or **Orris Distillate **for use in their private formulas. The aromas or distillates are not commercially available products. They may be offered under fancy names in more or less complex compositions for flavors or perfumes (violet-distillate, etc.). These aromas and distillates are still used in the flavoring of certain types of licorice candy, in Sen-Sen, etc. where the sweet, rootlike notes of the orris rhizome seems to blend well with the flavor of the licorice extract. However, this type of licorice flavor has lost its popularity in Europe during recent years. **Orris “Resin” **or “**Resinoid**” is very frequently adulterated or rather “bouquetted”, sophisticated, etc. with traces of ionones, methylionones, sage clary oil, labdanum absolute, cedarwood derivatives or fractions, amyris oil, methyl abietate, dihydroabietic alcohol, solvents, plasticizers, etc. The number of types of **Orris**** ****“Resin”**** **on the market is so huge that a general description is well-nigh impossible.