Three Refined Of Peppermint Oil
Three refined peppermint oil is a Chinese trade grade of mint oil that has been through three successive rectification passes after the natural menthol has been crystallised out of the crude Mentha arvensis distillate. The number in the name refers to the count of fractionation stages, not to a botanical origin or a chemical composition, and grades described as once refined, twice refined and three times refined sit on the same scale of increasing purification.
Each pass under vacuum removes further colour bodies, resin, water and the heaviest sesquiterpene tail, and narrows the boiling range of the cut that is kept. The result is a paler, cleaner and more stable oil than the dementholised material it starts from, with a tighter gas chromatographic profile and a lower non volatile residue. Menthol remains the principal constituent, typically 45 to 60 percent, accompanied by menthone, isomenthone, neomenthol and menthyl acetate, with the monoterpenes largely stripped.
The oil is a clear, essentially colourless mobile liquid with a clean cooling mint odour and no distillation off note. It is lighter than water, soluble in ethanol from about 70 percent upward and in fixed oils, and insoluble in water. The additional refining improves clarity in dilute alcohol systems and slows the oxidative dulling that affects less purified mint oils.
We source bulk Three Refined Of Peppermint Oil from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturer is in Anhui. A smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.
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- Function
- Essential oil
Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Clear mobile liquid, free from haze and sediment |
| Colour | Colourless to very pale yellow |
| Odour | Clean cooling mint, free of distillation off note |
| Free menthol content | Not less than 50.0 percent |
| Menthone | 10.0 to 25.0 percent |
| Menthyl acetate | 1.0 to 6.0 percent |
| Limonene and other monoterpenes | Not more than 2.0 percent |
| Specific gravity at 25 degrees Celsius | 0.890 to 0.908 |
| Refractive index at 20 degrees Celsius | 1.4570 to 1.4660 |
| Optical rotation at 20 degrees Celsius | minus 22 to minus 35 degrees |
| Solubility in 70 percent ethanol | Soluble in 3 volumes, clear solution |
| Water content | Not more than 0.2 percent |
| Non volatile residue | Not more than 0.3 percent |
| Heavy metals as Pb | Not more than 10 mg/kg |
Common Markets Grades
The grade is defined by the number of rectification passes rather than by a single fixed assay, so buyers specify both the refining stage and a menthol figure. Three refined material is commonly contracted at 45, 50 or 55 percent minimum free menthol, with a tighter colour limit and a lower non volatile residue than the once and twice refined qualities. Terpeneless and partially terpeneless versions are the norm at this refining level because the monoterpene head is removed during fractionation.
Pharmacopoeial conforming lots are produced against European and British pharmacopoeial requirements for mint oil, and pulegone controlled lots are made for markets that cap that constituent. The oil is also stocked as ethanol and propylene glycol dilutions for direct flavour compounding.
Applications
- Chewing gum and pressed mint confectionery, where the cleaner profile avoids the distillation note that shows through in sugar free bases
- Toothpaste and mouthwash flavours, where colour carry over and clarity in the finished paste matter
- Clear mint liqueurs, syrups and flavoured spirits, which expose any haze or colour in the oil
- Lozenges, cough drops and throat sprays as the mint carrier of a medicated flavour
- Oral thin films and breath strips, where residue and colour are tightly limited
- Topical balms, gels and inhalants, where the residual menthol delivers cooling
- Menthol tobacco casings and filter additives
- Fine fragrance and personal care compounding in fougere and fresh accords
- Feedstock for the isolation of high purity natural menthol and menthone fractions
China Manufacturers of Three Refined Of Peppermint Oil
Top Three Refined Of Peppermint Oil 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.
Regulatory Status
In the United States, the generally recognised as safe listing of essential oils, oleoresins and natural extractives in 21 CFR 182.20 covers mint oils and their rectified fractions, and menthol appears separately as a GRAS flavouring substance. The oil carries Flavour and Extract Manufacturers Association GRAS status for flavour use.
In the European Union it is a natural flavouring preparation obtained from a food source, and Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 permits it without individual authorisation, subject to the general safety conditions and to the maximum levels that Regulation sets for pulegone and menthofuran in flavoured foods and beverages. Rectified mint oils sold for pharmaceutical use are controlled by the relevant European Pharmacopoeia mint oil monograph. The Joint FAO WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives has evaluated menthol and related menthane derivatives as flavouring agents without raising a safety concern at flavour use levels.
Manufacturing Process
The route begins with crude Mentha arvensis oil produced by steam distillation of the wilted herb. That oil is chilled in jacketed crystallisers and centrifuged to remove natural menthol crystals, leaving the dementholised mother liquor. The liquor is dried to remove entrained water and then fed to a packed fractionating column operating under vacuum.
The first pass takes off the monoterpene head fraction and leaves the resinous tail behind in the still. The heart cut from that pass is charged again and redistilled, and the heart cut from the second pass is charged and distilled a third time, each stage narrowing the boiling range and lowering colour and residue. The final heart cut is blended to the contracted menthol assay, treated over an adsorbent or polish filtered to remove trace haze, verified by gas chromatography and refractive index, and filled under nitrogen into lined drums kept full and cool.
