Citral vs Citronellal — Two Citrus Aldehydes, Two Industrial Roles
Citral and citronellal are both citrus-character aldehydes from the terpene family. Both are workhorses across F&F, but they end up in different finished products and serve different industrial purposes. The procurement-grade reference:
Citral
- Sharp lemon-grass aroma; strong citrus impact
- Mixture of geranial + neral isomers
- FEMA 2303; FCC food-grade
- Primary use: F&F lemon notes, food flavour, soap, vitamin-A industrial synthesis
- Indian + China high-volume production
- Workhorse pricing
Citronellal
- Lemon-citronella aroma; gentler than citral
- Single aldehyde compound (R-isomer commercial)
- FEMA 2307
- Primary use: F&F citronella accord, PMD (mosquito repellent) precursor, perfumery
- Ex-citronella distillation or synthesis
- Workhorse pricing
Spec comparison
| Parameter | Citral | Citronellal |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Geranial + Neral isomer mix | R-(+)-Citronellal |
| CAS | 5392-40-5 | 2385-77-5 (R) |
| FEMA | 2303 | 2307 |
| Assay (GC) | 94–98% | 95–98% |
| Specific gravity | 0.882–0.894 | 0.847–0.857 |
| Refractive index | 1.4830–1.4920 | 1.4450–1.4540 |
| Aroma | Sharp lemon-grass, strong citrus | Soft lemon-citronella |
| Primary industry | F&F lemon, vitamin-A synthesis, food | F&F citronella, PMD repellent precursor |
| Pricing band | Workhorse | Workhorse |
When to choose what
Citral for
Lemon-flavoured beverages, lemon-flavoured confectionery, lemongrass-style F&F compounds, vitamin-A industrial synthesis (BASF, DSM route).
Citronellal for
Citronella-character F&F (mosquito-repellent themed soap, candle), PMD (p-menthane-3,8-diol) synthesis for plant-based DEET-alternative.
Don’t substitute
Different aroma, different downstream chemistry. PMD synthesis specifically requires citronellal; vitamin-A synthesis specifically requires citral.
Both together for
A complete citrus accord — citral + citronellol + citronellal + d-limonene gives a balanced bright + soft citrus profile.
What’s common between Citral & Citronellal from our plant
Both ship from the same Delhi-NCR aromatic-chemicals plant with the same QC architecture:
- GC-MS chromatogram per lot with peak ID
- NABL retain-sample testing
- FEMA + FCC food-grade documentation
- REACH / IFRA compliance pack
- 1 kg sample → 25 kg drum → 180 kg → FCL ladder
- Sample programme: paid, full credit-back against bulk order in 60 days
- Custom-blend service for citrus accords
- Heavy-metals panel on request (for premium food-grade)
Buyer FAQ
Which has stronger lemon character?
Citral — significantly. It is THE lemon-character aldehyde. Citronellal smells more citronella / lemongrass-watery.
Why is citral the vitamin-A precursor and not citronellal?
Citral structure (acyclic α,β-unsaturated aldehyde) condenses with acetone to form pseudoionone, which cyclises to give ionones — the upstream intermediates in vitamin-A synthesis. Citronellal lacks this conjugated structure.
PMD synthesis from citronellal — is this CDC-approved?
PMD (p-menthane-3,8-diol) is recognised by the US CDC and EPA as an effective DEET-alternative mosquito repellent. Citronellal is the upstream synthesis feedstock.
Food-grade FCC available?
Yes — both available in FCC / FEMA-listed food-grade for beverage, confectionery, oral-care.
Minimum order?
1 kg sample → 5 kg pilot → 25 kg HDPE drum → 180 kg → FCL on either SKU.
Citral or Citronellal bulk quote in 4 hours
One RFQ — quote(s) back the same working day. 1 kg sample plan with full credit-back.