Compounds · Monoterpenes · Terpenoid pathway
δ-3-Carene
Pine, sweet, with a clear resinous note. This is the compound that gives turpentine oil its most characteristic part.
- CAS
- 13466-78-9
- Formula
- C10H16
- Molar mass
- 136.23
- Odour threshold
- —
- Boiling point
- ≈ 170 °C at atmospheric pressure
Volatility
150 °C290 °C
Where it comes from
Biosynthetic pathway: Terpenoid pathway — plants build them from identical five-carbon blocks.
Why it sits where it does
A bicyclic skeleton with a strained three-membered ring, so it is reactive and polymerises easily when kept for a long time.
Where else you meet it
Pine, black pepper, bell pepper. In pine oil it can make up several tens of per cent depending on the species.