Acetaldehyde
Acetaldehyde is the simplest C2 aldehyde and one of the most widely used green-fruity top-notes in the flavour industry. CAS 75-07-0.
The molecule has the formula CH₃CHO (C₂H₄O), a molar mass of 44.05 g/mol, and is a colourless, highly volatile liquid with a pungent, ethereal, fresh-fruity odour.
It is classified by IARC as a Group 1 carcinogen to humans when inhaled, and its direct use in food is tightly limited. Handling demands closed systems, ventilation, and strict exposure control.
We source bulk Acetaldehyde from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturer is in Zhejiang. A smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.
Please send the grade you need, the volume and your destination port, and we will come back with a solution and a price.
or call +86-21-6858 0751
- Packaging
- 250 kg plastic drum or 1,000 kg IBC tote
- ISO 9001
- HACCP
- Halal
- Kosher
Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Clear colorless volatile liquid |
| Odor | Pungent, fruity, ethereal |
| Assay (GC) | ≥ 99.0% |
| Water Content | ≤ 0.5% |
| Density (20°C) | 0.778–0.790 g/mL |
| Refractive Index (20°C) | 1.331–1.334 |
| Boiling Point | 20.2°C |
| Acidity (as acetic acid) | ≤ 0.1% |
| Non-volatile Matter | ≤ 0.05% |
| Heavy Metals (as Pb) | ≤ 10 mg/kg |
Common Markets Grades
Acetaldehyde is graded into several purity tiers depending on application.
The technical grade is typically 99 percent minimum and serves as a chemical intermediate for acetic acid, pentaerythritol, and pyridine synthesis.
The flavour and fragrance grade is 99.5 percent minimum, dried over molecular sieves and packed under nitrogen in lined drums or pressurized tanks to suppress oxidation to acetic acid.
A stabilised aqueous solution at 40 to 50 percent is produced for safer handling in flavour compounding, though the free aldehyde grade remains preferred for the cleanest top-note.
Cold-chain shipment is standard. Storage is below 15 degrees C under inert gas, away from oxidisers and amines.
Applications
- Citrus and orange juice top-notes, where it restores the fresh-squeezed character lost in pasteurisation
- Apple, pear, and green fruit flavours as a green-ester lift
- Yogurt and cultured dairy flavourings for the fresh, slightly tart top-note
- Berry compositions, especially strawberry, raspberry, and blackcurrant
- Bread, malt, and fermented beverage flavour reconstitutions
- Tobacco flavourings for a fresh ethereal lift
- Industrial intermediate for acetic acid, ethyl acetate, and pentaerythritol
- Synthesis of pyridine bases and other heterocycles
- Production of paraldehyde and metaldehyde derivatives
- Crosslinking and resin chemistry in coatings and adhesives
China Manufacturers of Acetaldehyde
Top Acetaldehyde manufacturers in China.
Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.
How We Help Source Acetaldehyde
Direct Factory Sourcing
We run the whole process: selecting the manufacturer from the top Chinese food ingredient producers, negotiating the price, verifying quality, and coordinating the logistics. You deal with us instead of with several factories at once.
Original Packaging and Documents from the Manufacturer
The manufacturer sends your Acetaldehyde out of its own factory in the original packing, through to your destination port. The COA, COO, MSDS, TDS and any certifications reach you from the manufacturer as well.
Free Samples and Lead Time
We send 100 to 500 g free for your own laboratory to test and you cover only the courier, usually within 2 to 3 working days. ETD is usually within 7 to 15 days once the order is confirmed, and we check that date against the factory's own manufacturing schedule before we give it to you.
Combined Shipment
We can load Acetaldehyde together with other ingredients such as Capsicum Oleoresin, Ethyl Maltol and White Pepper into one 20' FCL. If your quantity is small, we can also ship LCL.
Regulatory Status
Acetaldehyde is approved as a synthetic flavouring substance with significant restrictions.
It carries FEMA GRAS number 2003 and FLAVIS number 05.001, and is listed in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations under 21 CFR 182.60 as a synthetic flavouring substance generally recognized as safe at use levels typical for flavour.
JECFA has evaluated acetaldehyde and noted that occupational exposure raises concern, while incidental dietary exposure is tolerated at low levels.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies acetaldehyde associated with alcoholic beverage consumption as Group 1 (carcinogenic to humans). Inhalation exposure is also Group 1. Direct addition to alcoholic beverages is restricted in several jurisdictions, and use in foodstuffs is limited to flavour-effect levels (commonly below 100 ppm in finished product).
Workplace exposure is regulated. The ACGIH ceiling limit is 25 ppm in air. Closed handling, local exhaust ventilation, and personal protective equipment are required during compounding.
Manufacturing Process
Industrial acetaldehyde production is dominated by the Wacker process.
In the single-stage Wacker route, ethylene is oxidised in aqueous solution with a palladium chloride / copper chloride catalyst system. Air or oxygen reoxidizes the copper, and the cycle delivers acetaldehyde in a single reactor with selectivity above 95 percent.
A small share of capacity still runs the older ethanol dehydrogenation route over a copper or silver catalyst at 260 to 290 degrees C. This route is favored where bio-ethanol is abundant and where a bio-based label is commercially useful.
Historic routes from acetylene hydration over mercury salts have been phased out for environmental reasons.
