Benzyl salicylate with CAS number 118-58-1 is a nearly colorless to pale yellow viscous oily liquid at ambient temperature. In terms of physical properties, it has a melting point of 18–25°C and a boiling point of approximately 308°C; it cannot dissolve in water and glycerol but mixes freely with ethanol, ether, acetone and most fragrance-grade organic solvents, and boasts favorable thermal stability that keeps its form intact across a wide temperature range. Chemically, this benzyl ester derived from salicylic acid stays stable when sealed and kept away from direct sunlight, yet it will hydrolyze into salicylic acid and benzyl alcohol under strongly alkaline conditions, and it may degrade and discolor upon prolonged exposure to strong oxidizing agents or intensive UV radiation, with even tiny impurities greatly altering its natural scent. It gives off a faint sweet floral fragrance with a subtle balsamic hint, though some people detect musk-like notes or cannot smell it at all, making it an excellent long-lasting fragrance fixative. It is mainly applied in the fragrance industry to create floral scents for perfumes, soaps and aromatic daily necessities, commonly incorporated into cosmetics and personal care items as a scent component; it also possesses mild UVB absorption and was previously used as an auxiliary sunscreen agent, and it can be used in trace amounts in food flavorings and act as an intermediate for organic fine chemical synthesis.
Parameters
| Melting point | 18-20 °C |
| Boiling point | 168-170 °C5 mm Hg(lit.) |
| density | 1.176 g/mL at 25 °C(lit.) |
| vapor pressure | 0.01Pa at 25℃ |
| refractive index | n20/D 1.581(lit.) |
| FEMA | 2151 | BENZYL SALICYLATE |
| Fp | >230 °F |
| storage temp. | -20°C |
| solubility | Chloroform (Slightly), Methanol (Slightly) |
| pka | 8.11±0.30(Predicted) |
| form | Liquid |
| color | Thick colorless liquid |
| Odor | pleasant odor |
| Odor Type | balsamic |
| biological source | synthetic |
| Water Solubility | Slightly soluble |
| Merck | 14,1144 |
| JECFA Number | 904 |
| BRN | 2115365 |
| Dielectric constant | 4.1（20℃） |
| InChIKey | ZCTQGTTXIYCGGC-UHFFFAOYSA-N |
| LogP | 4 |
| CAS DataBase Reference | 118-58-1(CAS DataBase Reference) |
| NIST Chemistry Reference | Benzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, phenylmethyl ester(118-58-1) |
| EPA Substance Registry System | Benzyl salicylate (118-58-1) |
Safety Information
| Hazard Codes | Xi,N |
| Risk Statements | 36/37/38-51/53-43 |
| Safety Statements | 26-36-24/25-61-37-24 |
| WGK Germany | 2 |
| RTECS | VO1750000 |
| TSCA | Yes |
| HS Code | 29182900 |
| Hazardous Substances Data | 118-58-1(Hazardous Substances Data) |
| Toxicity | LD50 orl-rat: 2227 mg/kg FCTXAV 11,1029,73 |
