Chemical Esterification of Fusel Oil Alcohol for the Production of Flavor and Fragrance Esters

Fusel oil is a byproduct of the distillation of ethyl alcohol from the fermentation of molasses. Fusel oil contained low (14 %) and high (68.5 %) boiling point alcohols. GC analysis of fusel oil showed ethyl and isoamyl alcohol as major components. Isoamyl alcohol was esterified with acetic acid and the optimum reaction conditions were molar ratio of acid and alcohol 1:4 M, temperature 120 oC and amount of catalyst as 1.5 % of the weight of acid. Molecular sieves (50 % of the weight of acid) were used as desiccant. Under these conditions the yield of the esterified product was 85 %. Thin layer chromatography and infrared spectroscopy confirmed the purity of the product.