Overview
ISO 23954:2009 - Oil of lime expressed, Persian type (Citrus latifolia Tanaka) - specifies characteristic requirements and test methods to facilitate assessment of the quality of Persian‑type lime essential oil. The standard defines organoleptic and physicochemical criteria, a mandatory chromatographic profile, sampling volume, and references to laboratory methods for reliable quality control, labelling and safe handling.
Keywords: ISO 23954, oil of lime expressed, Persian type, Citrus latifolia, essential oil quality, chromatographic profile, gas chromatography
Key Topics and Requirements
- Scope: Defines essential oil expressed (cold‑pressed) from peel of Citrus latifolia Tanaka; principal producers include USA, Mexico and Brazil.
- Appearance & Organoleptic: Mobile clear liquid; colour green/yellow‑green/brownish‑green; odour characteristic of fresh lime peel.
- Physicochemical limits:
- Relative density (20 °C): 0.861 – 0.879
- Refractive index (20 °C): 1.476 – 1.486
- Optical rotation (20 °C): +38° to +53°
- Miscibility: 1 volume oil must dissolve in ≤3 volumes of 95% ethanol (slight haze allowed)
- Residue on evaporation: 5.0 – 12.0% (mass fraction)
- CD value (UV spectrometry): Minimum 0.24 (measured up to 315 nm)
- Chromatographic profile (normative): Gas chromatography identification with component percentage ranges (examples include):
- Limonene: 47.0 – 53.0%
- γ‑Terpinene: 11.0 – 14.0%
- β‑Pinene: 10.0 – 12.0%
- α‑Pinene, myrcene, neral/geranial, neryl/geranyl acetates, and sesquiterpenes (β‑caryophyllene, α‑bergamotene, β‑bisabolene) are specified with minimum/maximum ranges.
- Flashpoint: Informative mean value +46 °C (tag closed cup or equivalent).
- Sampling & testing: Minimum test sample 30 ml; references to ISO methods for density, refractive index, rotation, miscibility, residue on evaporation, CD, and GC profiling.
Applications and Users
ISO 23954 is used by:
