Full Arctander text
#### Tolu Balsam Oil.
By steam distillation of tolu balsam (see monograph), an essential oil is obtained which is truly **Tolu Balsam Oil**. However, the product which is turned out has quite variable properties according to the method of production, the steam pressure in particular. It has therefore become increasingly common to submit tolu balsam to a vacuum distillation. Very low Hg-pressure is necessary to prevent "burning" of the high-boiling components, and various "wiping-film" stills, molecular stills, etc. have been used in the production of distilled oils from tolu balsam.
The composition of dry distilled tolu balsam is significantly different from that of the steam distilled oil. Cinnamic and benzoic acid, together with high-boiling alkoxyphenols are present in the dry-distilled oil and make this material a good, but not neutral fixative in perfumery.
**Anhydrol**** ****Tolu**** **(or similar specialties representing concentrates of the aromatic principles in tolu balsam) may be preferred for their neutral reaction and uniformity.
Tolu Balsam Oil (steam distilled) is a viscous oil of a sweet-floral odor with a rather sharp, peppery topnote which fades away quickly, giving way to a faintly fruity-floral, sweet-spicy, long-lasting, balsamic dryoutnote.
**Tolu Balsam Oil **(dry distilled) is an amber colored or yellowish, viscous liquid which solidifies into an amber colored, crystalline mass on standing or cooling. The odor of the melted homogeneous mass is very rich balsamic, occasionally somewhat creosolic, sweet and floral, outstandingly tenacious, and more uniform than the odor of the steam distilled oil. This material gives excellent effects in hyacinth, tuberose, gardenia, honeysuckle, stephanotis and numerous other sweet-floral fragrances; it blends well with hydroxycitronellal, linalool, sandalwood oil, terpeneless bergamot oil, isoeugenol, labdanum, heliotropine, mimosa absolute, opopanax, ylang-ylang, orange flower, and it is, in general, an interesting item for use in all types of "fantasy" perfume, "tabac", "leather", aldehydic perfume, etc. It produces interesting "powdery" effects with patchouli, ionones, musks, cedarwood ketones, etc.
In flavors, it is a useful fixative for rum (which contains many low-boiling and highly volatile materials), or in flavors for baked goods where the fixative effect of tolu balsam oil protects the flavor from evaporating during the baking at elevated temperatures (e. g. caramel flavors, etc.).
**Tolu Balsam Oil **is often produced by the consumer according to his specific needs, but there are countless qualities of this oil offered from the usual producers of natural perfume materials. Adulteration is very possible and likely to occur, partly due to the fact that the main ingredients of the oil are well-known, readily available, low-cost synthetic materials.