Overview
ISO 20809:2017 specifies quality characteristics for the essential oil of cypress (Cupressus sempervirens L.) to facilitate consistent assessment and trade. The standard defines physicochemical limits, a normative gas‑chromatographic profile, sampling volume, and references for packaging, labeling and storage. It is intended for producers, quality-control laboratories, traders and regulators involved with cypress essential oil.
Key Topics and Requirements
- Identity: Essential oil obtained by steam distillation of branches and leaves of Cupressus sempervirens L.
- Physicochemical properties:
- Relative density (20 °C): 0.863 to 0.885 (ISO 279)
- Refractive index (20 °C): 1.468 to 1.478 (ISO 280)
- Optical rotation: +15° to +30° (ISO 592)
- Peroxide value: 0 to 20 mmol/l (ISO 18321)
- Appearance / Odour: clear mobile liquid, pale yellow to yellow; characteristic terpenic, fresh, sweet.
- Miscibility in ethanol:
- With 90% ethanol: max 8 volumes ethanol per 1 volume oil for a clear solution (ISO 875)
- With 95% ethanol: max 2 volumes ethanol per 1 volume oil for a clear solution
- Chromatographic profile (normative):
- Gas chromatography per ISO 11024. Key components and proportion ranges (examples):
- α‑Pinene: ~40–60% (Spanish type) up to 65% (French type)
- δ‑3‑Carene: Spanish 16–27%, French 12–25%
- Limonene, β‑Pinene, Myrcene, Terpinen‑4‑ol, Cedrol, Germacrene‑D, α‑Terpinyl acetate, etc., with defined minimum/maximum percentages
- Typical chromatograms and column/operating examples are given in Annex A.
- Flash point: Informative mean value +48 °C (Pensky‑Martens) provided in Annex B.
- Sampling & packaging:
Applications and Who Uses ISO 20809
- Essential oil producers and distillers: to verify product meets recognized quality criteria before sale.
- Quality control and analytical laboratories: to perform standardized GC profiling and physico‑chemical testing.
- Buyers, traders and exporters/importers: to assess authenticity, batch acceptance and compliance for commercial transactions.
- Regulatory bodies and transport/insurance companies: to document hazard information (e.g., flash point) and ensure proper labeling and handling.
- Product formulators (cosmetics, aromatherapy, fragrances): to confirm ingredient specifications for formulation and safety data.
Related Standards
Keywords: ISO 20809, essential oil of cypress, Cupressus sempervirens, cypress essential oil quality, gas chromatography, chromatographic profile, refractive index, relative density, optical rotation, peroxide value, flash point.
