Symrise’s innovative and sustainable production process illustrated
Synthesizing l-Menthol was a major breakthrough for the flavor and fragrance industry. L-Menthol is the dominant component in mint oils. With its fresh, minty characteristics and cooling sensation it is used in toothpaste, mouthwash, shower gel, etc. Here is an animated illustration of the process, developed by Haarmann & Reimer and perfected by Symrise AG.
Starting with Thymol, a mixture of eight different Menthol enantiomers (Menthol crude) is produced via hydrogenation. By distillation, d/l-Menthol can be separated from the other isomers, as they have different boiling points. The heart of the innovation is the separation of the racemic enantiomers d- and l-Menthol to obtain high-quality l-Menthol. In the last stage of enhancement, the desired l-Menthol is separated from the undesired d-Menthol. All other enantiomers are returned to the process - generating nearly zero waste and ensuring that synthesized l-Menthol is chemically identical to its natural counterpart.
