Limonene Citrus Cleaner Chemistry
[caption id="attachment_24444" align="alignright" width="480"] A juicy wedge o' lemon.[/caption] Citrus fruits offer both pronounced flavor and pungent aroma. Where does the pungency come from? From the terpene limonene – more specifically, the dextrorotatory enantiomer¹, d-limonene. Although modern terminology is switching from (D)extro and L(evo) notation to S(inister) and R(ectus), we’ve chosen the older terminology, more often associated with limonene. What is Limonene? Limonene is useful commercially in environmentally-safe cleaning formulations, as a solvent, and as raw material in the synthesis of other chemicals, such as carvone. This chemical is also useful as an insecticide and for assorted other purposes. Manufacturers separate limonene from the fruit’s peel by means of steam distillation, or a centrifugal process. Lab Synthesis of Limonene Citrus Cleaner from Isoprene Labs can prepare limonene (a mixture of…