
Welcome to our new website. If you are a regular visitor you will notice quite a few changes - this will be progressive as the site is developed over the next few weeks. More »»
First research for SCCP again shows Australian Tea Tree Oil has no mutagenic potential... More »»
The recent 2006-2007 ATTIA crop data survey indicates that the Australian production will be in the range of 400 to 480 tonnes More »»
Second letter as to research outline and advising the need for overseas monetary contributions
The chemical composition of tea tree oil is defined by international standard ISO 4730 (2004) and the identical Australian standard AS 2782-2009 ("Oil of Melaleuca, Terpinen-4-ol type"), which specifies levels of 15 of the more than 100 components in pure Australian tea tree oil. Any batch of oil sold by an ATTIA member must be accompanied by an independently tested certificate of analysis demonstrating conformance to these standards. A summary of the standard:
Essential oil obtained by steam distillation of the foliage and terminal branchlets of Melaleuca alternifolia (Maiden et Betche) Cheel, Melaleuca linariifolia Smith, and Melaleuca dissitiflora F. Mueller, as well as other species of Melaleuca provided that the oil obtained conforms to the requirements given in this International Standard.
| Requirements: | ||
| Appearance | Clear, mobile liquid | |
| Colour | Colourless to pale yellow | |
| Odour | Characteristic | |
| Relative density (20° C) | Min: 0.885 | Max: 0.906 |
| Refractive index (20° C) | Min: 1.475 | Max: 1.482 |
| Optical rotation (20° C) | between + 5° and + 15° | |
| Miscibility in ethanol (20° C) | not necessary to use more than 2 volumes of ethanol, 85% (volume fraction) to obtain a clear solution with 1 volume of essential oil | |
| Flashpoint (closed cup) | mean value | mean value |
| Min volume of test sample | 50 ml | |
| Chromatographic profile: | ||||
| Component | Min % | Max % | ||
| α-Piniene | 1 | 6 | ||
| Sabinene | trace | 3.5 | ||
| α-Terpinene | 5 | 13 | ||
| Limonene | 0.5 | 1.5 | ||
| p-Cymene | 0.5 | 8 | ||
| 1,8-Cineole | trace | 15 | ||
| γ-Terpinene | 10 | 28 | ||
| Terpinolene | 1.5 | 5 | ||
| Terpinen-4-ol | 30 | 48 | ||
| α-Terpineol | 1.5 | 8 | ||
| Aromadendrene | trace | 3 | ||
| Ledene (syn. viridiflorene) | trace | 3 | ||
| δ-Cadinene | trace | 3 | ||
| Globulol | trace | 1 | ||
| Viridiflorol | trace | 1 | ||
A full copy of this standard is available for purchase at: www.saiglobal.com
Page last updated: 21 Jun 2009