β-Myrcene

7-Methyl-3-methylenocta-1,6-diene; C₁₀H₁₆ = 136.2 (123-35-3)

Oily liquid with a pleasant odour, practically insoluble in water, miscible with ethanol (96%), soluble in glacial acetic acid. It dissolves in solutions of alkali hydroxides.

, about 0.794; , about 1.470.

β-Myrcene used in gas chromatography complies with the following additional test.

Assay Gas chromatography (2.2.28) as prescribed in the monograph Peppermint oil (0405).

Test solution The substance to be examined.

Content Minimum 90.0%, calculated by the normalisation procedure.