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Lilac

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COMERG • Lilac extraction

Lilac Blossom

Syringa vulgaris L.

Capture the scent of fresh lilac, one of the hardest flowers in all of perfumery to bottle, with COMERG equipment. Our cold, room-temperature, low-pressure process lifts the true lilac note, the lilac aldehydes and dimethoxybenzene, straight from the living bloom, with no heat to coarsen it.

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Rare floral extract

The flower

The scent that resists bottling

Lilac, Syringa vulgaris, is one of spring's most loved scents and one of the most stubborn to capture. The flower yields almost no oil by distillation, which is why a true natural lilac is so rare. Its character comes from delicate lilac aldehydes and alcohols, lifted by sweet dimethoxybenzene and soft benzyl alcohol.

We work with fresh whole blossoms, picked in May and processed cold so those fragile molecules survive. The result is a rich, waxy floral extract that carries the real scent of the living bloom, not a reconstruction.

Raw material

Botanical nameSyringa vulgaris L.
FamilyOleaceae
Plant partFlowers
ConditionFresh, whole
OriginBulgaria
HarvestMay

The extract

What the process delivers

Run on COMERG equipment, fresh lilac yields a rich, true-to-bloom floral extract, batch after batch. Because the extraction is cold and solvent-light, with no high heat, the fragile lilac note carries straight through to the finished material. The figures below are typical of a standardised BLil-20.1 grade.

≥20%Volatile oil v/w
TrueLilac note
<25 °CExtraction temp
97%Compound recovery
~350 kgFlowers per kg extract
MayFresh bloom harvest

The method

Cold extraction, in three steps

No heat, no leftover solvent. This is what lets a flower that defeats distillation give up its scent inside a COMERG aerosol system.

1

Pressurised R134a flooding

Non-toxic liquefied R134a gas is introduced to the fresh lilac blossoms at controlled, low pressure. There is no heat, the cycle begins and stays at room temperature.

2

Selective aromatic dissolution

The liquid gas gently dissolves the lilac aldehydes, the lilac alcohols and the soft floral compounds, the delicate molecules that distillation simply destroys.

3

Recovery and pure extract

The R134a is fully recovered and recycled in a closed loop. What is left is a concentrated lilac extract, with under 0.1 g/kg residue.

Aromatic profile

The compound fingerprint

Principal constituents identified by GC-MS, each above 1%. Sweet dimethoxybenzene leads, with benzyl alcohol and the signature lilac alcohols rounding out the true floral character. Values are typical and vary batch to batch.

p-Dimethoxybenzene
11-23%
Benzyl alcohol
10%
Heneicosane
5-10%
Elemicin
1-10%
Lilac alcohol D
3-9%
Palmitic acid
3-8%
1,2,3-Trimethoxybenzene
5-6%
iso-Elemicin
3-5%
0%10%15%23%+

The signature lilac alcohols and aldehydes carry the true floral note. Other extractables present. Per-batch GC-MS report available on request.

Specification

BLil-20.1 at a glance

Identity & origin

Botanical nameSyringa vulgaris L.
Plant partFlowers
OriginBulgaria
Product codeBLil-20.1
CAS No.90063-50-6
EINECS No.290-008-2

Production

MethodLiquefied-gas extraction
TemperatureBelow 25 °C
SolventFood-grade (Dir. 97/60/EC)
Solvent residue< 0.1 g/kg
StandardisationDeclared volatile oil
Concentration1 kg ≈ 200-500 kg flowers

Physical

AppearanceBrown viscous to solid
Volatile oil20-25% v/w (ASTA)
INCI nameSyringa Vulgaris Extract
DensityOn request
Refractive indexOn request
Flash point> 62 °C

Solubility & output

In oilsFully soluble
In 40% alcoholPartial
In waterInsoluble
UseFragrance & cosmetic
ContainerLined aluminium bottle
Shelf life2 years

Why lilac, why cold

A fragile floral, captured whole

A rare bloom

Syringa vulgaris, Bulgaria

Plant partFresh whole flowers
Flowers per kg extract~200-500 kg
Volatile oil≥ 20% v/w
HarvestMay, in full bloom

Captured cold

Versus distillation, which fails here

Lilac aldehydesPreserved
True lilac noteCarried through
Process temperature< 25 °C
Soft floral facetsIntact

Applications

What you can make

Fine perfumery Niche & natural fragrance Fine fragrance accords Skincare & cosmetics Candles & home scent

This lilac extract is not for food. It is a rare fragrance and cosmetic raw material, taken concentrated or diluted in a carrier to suit the formula, and like all our extracts it is not for direct or undiluted use. Filling rates are set to your application.

Why the COMERG line

Built for the flowers others cannot capture

Lilac is the proof case. A flower that gives nothing to a still gives up its true scent to a cold, gentle process. Our line is engineered around exactly that kind of fragile, high-value bloom.

Room temperatureR134a aerosol extraction works cold and at low pressure, so the fragile lilac molecules that heat destroys come through intact.
Captures the uncapturableWhere distillation yields almost nothing, cold gas extraction lifts a true, rich lilac that smells like the living flower.
Fully automatedClosed-loop systems run the cycle for you, so results stay consistent and one operator can handle the line.
Gentle, fast cyclesLow-pressure extraction is quick and recovers up to 97% of what the flower will give, with no thermal damage.
Scales with youFrom a 10 l pilot unit to 2000 l production, the same method grows from R&D batches to full output.
Clean and economicalIt uses around 85% less energy than solvent methods and needs no special hazardous-location facility.

Why it wins

Compared to the alternatives

For a flower like lilac the contrast is stark, distillation barely works at all, while cold R134a extraction delivers a true, rich material.

FeatureCOMERG R134aSteam distillationSolvent (absolute)CO₂ supercritical
Process temperature< 25 °C (room temp)100-150 °C40-60 °C31-80 °C
Suits lilacYes, true noteNo, near-zero yieldPossible, harderPossible
Fragile moleculesPreservedDestroyedMostly keptMostly kept
Solvent residue< 0.1 g/kgNoneNeeds post-purgeNone
Energy use85% less vs solventHighMedium-highVery high
Special facilityNot requiredNot requiredRequiredHigh-pressure safety

From bloom to extract

The machines for lilac

A complete COMERG line takes lilac from fresh bloom to a finished extract. These are the core stages, each available as standalone equipment.

View all equipment
Product specificationFull composition, properties, packaging and handling for lilac extract BLil-20.1.
Download PDF

Questions

Lilac extraction, explained

A 100% natural lilac flower extract from Syringa vulgaris, product code BLil-20.1. It carries the true lilac note, led by sweet dimethoxybenzene and the signature lilac alcohols, with no additives.

Lilac gives almost no oil by steam distillation, so there is effectively no lilac essential oil, and absolutes are notoriously hard. Cold gas extraction is one of the few ways to capture the real flower's scent.

Liquefied food-grade gas extraction at room temperature, below 25 °C, and low pressure. Because there is no high heat, the delicate floral compounds are preserved and solvent residue stays below 0.1 g/kg.

Roughly 1 kg of extract represents around 200 to 500 kg of fresh lilac flowers, which is part of why the material is so prized.

No. This lilac extract is not for food. It is a fragrance and cosmetic raw material, not intended for direct consumption or undiluted topical use.

Yes. The same cold process runs from a 10 l pilot unit to 2000 l production systems, so you can start small and grow without changing method.

Yes. A per-batch GC-MS analysis is available on request, and a Safety Data Sheet per 2006/1907/EC is supplied with the product.

Set up your lilac line

Tell us your throughput and target product. We will recommend the right system, share a yield estimate for your lilac flowers, and reply with pricing and lead time, usually within 48 hours.

COMERG extracts are raw materials for product formulation. They are not intended for direct consumption or for undiluted topical application in cosmetics, perfumery or aromatherapy. This information is provided to the best of our knowledge and is not a substitute for prior testing of suitability for the intended use. Keep away from children.

The lilac line

Equipment for processing lilac

The machines below make up the lilac line, the equipment that takes the bloom through to a finished extract. Request a quote on any unit and we will reply with pricing and lead time.

  • 1000L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    1000L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    An industrial-scale aerosol extraction system for very high-volume, room-temperature, residue-free processing of any botanical.

  • 100L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    100L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    A commercial-scale low-pressure aerosol system that gently extracts essential oils and aromatics from any botanical at room temperature, with no residue.

  • 10L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    10L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    An entry-level, fully automated low-pressure aerosol system that gently extracts essential oils and aromatics from virtually any botanical at room temperature, with no residue.

  • 10T Conveyor Dryer System

    10T Conveyor Dryer System

    A continuous belt dryer that gently dries freshly harvested botanical biomass on a four-layer, 12 m mesh belt at an adjustable 0-90 °C, fed and discharged automatically.

  • 150L Fully Automated Compound Remediation System

    150L Fully Automated Compound Remediation System

    A production-scale system that refines large lots of botanical extract to a fixed specification at room temperature, with no thermal damage to the active profile.

  • 2000L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    2000L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    Our largest aerosol extraction platform, built for maximum-volume industrial production with the same gentle, residue-free low-pressure process.

  • 200L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    200L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    A high-capacity commercial low-pressure aerosol system for room-temperature, residue-free extraction of essential oils and aromatics from any botanical.

  • 20L Aerosol Extraction System

    20L Aerosol Extraction System

    A compact production-scale low-pressure aerosol system that gently extracts essential oils and aromatics from any botanical at room temperature, with no residue.

  • 20L MAX HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    20L MAX HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    A dual-vessel 20L MAX system that doubles throughput while keeping the same gentle, room-temperature, residue-free aerosol extraction for any botanical.

  • 25L Fully Automated Compound Remediation System

    25L Fully Automated Compound Remediation System

    A pilot-scale system that scales a validated remediation method to repeatable batches, stripping targeted impurities from extract while protecting the active profile.

  • 30L Ultrasonic Extraction System

    30L Ultrasonic Extraction System

    A 30L ultrasonic-assisted extraction system that uses 20 kHz cavitation to rupture plant cells and release oils into solvent quickly, at low temperature, with vacuum filtration.

  • 500L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    500L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    A large-scale industrial aerosol system delivering high-volume, room-temperature, residue-free botanical extraction at low pressure.

  • 500L Vacuum Drying Oven with Drawer

    500L Vacuum Drying Oven with Drawer

    A production-scale 18 cu ft vacuum oven with a pull-out drawer and integrated pump that purges and dries large batches of botanical extract at low temperature.

  • 50L Crystallization Reactor

    50L Crystallization Reactor

    A 50L jacketed reactor that crystallises high-purity botanical isolates from a distilled feed under precise temperature and agitation control, with repeated recrystallisation for maximum purity.

  • 50L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    50L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    A floor-standing production-scale low-pressure aerosol system that gently extracts essential oils and aromatics from any botanical at room temperature, with no residue.

  • 50L Vacuum Drying Oven

    50L Vacuum Drying Oven

    A compact 2 cu ft vacuum oven that purges residual solvent and gently dries botanical extracts at low temperature under vacuum, protecting colour, aroma and actives.