This listing is for pure, undiluted maltol crystals. No carrier solvent has been added. For easier measurement and incorporation into your fragrance, prepare a suitable stock solution before use.

If you prefer a diluted material, see our Maltol Crystals 5D, supplied as a 5% solution in DPG.

Maltol is a crystalline material with limited solubility. Both your choice of solvent and the concentration you attempt will affect how successfully it dissolves.

There is a difference between slow dissolution and reaching the solvent’s limit. Mixing and patience can help crystals dissolve, but extra stirring cannot make a solvent hold more maltol than its solubility allows.

For an alcohol-based perfume, high-strength perfumer’s ethanol is a sensible starting point for a dilute trial stock. Propylene glycol is another documented option.

The Food Chemicals Codex reports that approximately 1g of maltol dissolves in 21ml of alcohol or 28ml of propylene glycol. These are solvent-volume ratios, not percentages by weight, and do not guarantee stability in every formulation.

Propylene glycol (PG) and dipropylene glycol (DPG) are different solvents. Their solubility figures are not interchangeable.

Reference: USP Food Chemicals Codex — Maltol.

For a small trial, prepare 10g of solution at 1% by weight using:

• 0.1g maltol crystals
• 9.9g perfumer’s ethanol

Use a balance capable of accurately weighing 0.1g. Mix thoroughly in a suitable container and allow time for the crystals to dissolve. Label the bottle with the material, solvent, concentration and preparation date.

Check the solution after standing and under its expected storage conditions. This is a conservative trial concentration, not a guaranteed stability specification.

Do not assume that a 10% maltol stock will remain dissolved. Maltol has limited solubility, and a concentration that works for another crystalline aroma material may not work for maltol.

Start with a dilute stock and assess its stability before trying higher concentrations. Any stronger preparation needs checking after cooling, standing and incorporation into the finished fragrance.

Gentle warming may help dissolution, but it does not guarantee that the solution will remain clear after cooling. Follow the handling instructions for your chosen solvent.

Never use direct heat or an open flame with ethanol. Allow any warmed preparation to return to room temperature and check for crystals before using it.

A warm solution may hold more maltol than it can retain when cool. Crystals can therefore return as the temperature falls, particularly if the solution is close to its solubility limit.

Changing the solvent balance by adding the stock to a fragrance can also cause crystallisation. A clear stock solution does not guarantee that the finished perfume will remain clear.

Check both the stock and the finished fragrance after standing and at their expected storage temperatures.

Allow adequate mixing time first. If crystals persist, reduce the concentration by adding more of the same suitable solvent, recording the amount added so you can calculate the revised concentration.

Recheck the solution after standing. Repeated warming alone will not resolve a concentration that is too high for normal storage conditions.

Avoid dosing liquid from above settled crystals: its maltol concentration may differ from the intended stock strength.

Calculate the amount of actual maltol, as well as the solvent you are adding.

For example, 1g of a 1% maltol stock contains 0.01g of maltol and 0.99g of solvent. If included in a final batch weighing 10g, that contributes 0.1% maltol by weight.

A stock concentration is a handling choice, not a recommended finished-product usage level.

No. Maltol and ethyl maltol are different aroma materials. Their odour profiles and solubility differ, so dilution instructions should not be transferred automatically between them.

This listing is for Maltol, CAS 118-71-8. For the other material, see our Ethyl Maltol product page.

A blend of triethyl citrate (TEC) and 1,3-butylene glycol is an option worth investigating. In a published patent experiment, 1% maltol was soluble in blends of 1,3-butylene glycol:TEC at both 1:3 and 3:1 by weight, after heating and cooling to room temperature.

Under the same test conditions, neither solvent alone fully dissolved maltol at 1%. This demonstrates that a mixed solvent can perform differently from either of its individual components.

These findings do not establish long-term stability or support assuming that higher concentrations will dissolve. They apply specifically to 1,3-butylene glycol and TEC; substituting another glycol may give different results.

Reference: Published experimental results — Example 1(g).

Polarity alone does not reliably predict how well a solvent will dissolve maltol. The interactions between maltol and the solvents, as well as between the solvents themselves, influence the result.

The TEC and 1,3-butylene glycol experiment illustrates this: the mixtures dissolved 1% maltol under conditions where the individual solvents did not.

This makes small comparative trials useful when choosing a solvent system for your particular fragrance.

Begin with small batches at 1% maltol by weight. If these remain clear, you can investigate 3% and 5% as further screening concentrations. These are test concentrations, not promised solubilities.

For each trial, record the solvent or solvent blend, ingredient weights and preparation conditions. Check for crystals, haze or separation:

• After returning to room temperature, if warmed during preparation.
• After 24 hours.
• After one week.
• At the lowest temperature expected during storage.

These checks provide an initial screen rather than proof of long-term stability. Test the finished perfume as well: adding a clear stock to an IPM-rich or otherwise different base can cause crystals to return.

DPG offers a convenient way to handle maltol, but concentration, temperature and the finished formula determine whether it stays dissolved.