I’m melting Guiacwood resin… What is this?

[lesillage]

I found some Paraguayan guiacwood in a box while I was moving house. It must be from ~2007. The phenolic lid broke, and it leaked all over the place, and left inside the bottle is this waxy, resinous material. What is that?

I’ve had it sitting on my hot plate for a day at 44 degC and it hasn’t liquified. I laid it on its side. I want to transfer it into another bottle.

What do we suggest?

Here’re some photos:





This is how I laid it:




I don’t want to heat it too much and make a mess, nor change the nice sweet smell it emanates. It’s been sitting in a box on its side for years. At some point, the phenolic lid got chipped, but just enough for the oil to maybe fractionate and slowly ooze out the chip in the lid? The contents that dripped over the rest of the inside of the box was super sticky - VERY difficult to remove with pure ethanol. Dang, but it made everything smell awesome for days. My entire warehouse smells like sweet rose and guiacwood right now and I feel like I’m in a temple. It’s a wonderful accident.

I only have a few more days here and I want to figure out how to get this guiacwood wax(?) portable!

 

[jsweet]

Visually it looks like guaiacwood at room temperature, which for me is a semi-crystalline paste. If the bottle has sat without a cap for 10 years, it's probably heavily oxidized. Interestingly enough, there is apparently a CAS for oxidized guaiacwood oil, 68991-35-5 which is separate from the CAS for guaiacwood oil 8016-23-7.

EDIT: I liquefy my guaiacwood at 70 or 80 C

 

[Solua Botanica]

It looks like Guaiac Heart which is always in a paste form. But knowing the story behind the bottle, it is definitely oxidized.
You mention it is hard to clean with ethanol, which may indicate that it's become hard to fully dissolve.
But I would still give it a try using a small amount with some warm ethanol, kept warm for a little bit with the loose lid
I'm sure you would extract some scent. Happy accident indeed, you may end up with a very unique tincture !
I've voluntarily oxidised guaicac in the past, I was trying to get the 'smoked ham' note to go away, which it never did.

 

[jsweet]

I've voluntarily oxidised guaicac in the past, I was trying to get the 'smoked ham' note to go away, which it never did.

Was there any notable difference to you? And how long did you let it go?

 

[pkiler]

I'd just get a new bottle of Guaiacwood.

 

[Solua Botanica]

Was there any notable difference to you? And how long did you let it go?

I left the open bottle with a fine muslin cloth over it for a good 2 months.
It became unpourable even when heated.
It mellowed out a bit but it was just as smoky, only a little less powerful.
After trying various ones from different suppliers, I realized they can differ quite a bit in smokiness and consistency.
I am convinced that some vendors sell the stuff diluted.

 

[lesillage]

Visually it looks like guaiacwood at room temperature, which for me is a semi-crystalline paste. If the bottle has sat without a cap for 10 years, it's probably heavily oxidized. Interestingly enough, there is apparently a CAS for oxidized guaiacwood oil, 68991-35-5 which is separate from the CAS for guaiacwood oil 8016-23-7.

EDIT: I liquefy my guaiacwood at 70 or 80 C

That was very helpful. I bumped it to 68C and it liquefied quite well.

In its probably oxidised state, it smells wonderful, like a sweet ketchuppy temple.

 

[lesillage]

Here it is in its little hot tub.


It just sat in a corner for two days at this temp and melted down fine. I love the odor on skin, has a lovely “temple” / campfire note.

Look at this interesting lattice that formed after it melted down!


Soooo fascinating!

What IS that?

I put my finger in it (how could one resist?) and it melted on me, smelled super nice.

 

[tensor9]

Here it is in its little hot tub.
View attachment 336236

It just sat in a corner for two days at this temp and melted down fine. I love the odor on skin, has a lovely “temple” / campfire note.

Look at this interesting lattice that formed after it melted down!
View attachment 336237

Soooo fascinating!

What IS that?

I put my finger in it (how could one resist?) and it melted on me, smelled super nice.

Did they form upon cooling or upon heating?

Those are crystals.

The depth perception is not clear from the photo, but…

If they formed while heating and are above the the height of the water bath level and above the melted liquid guiacwood, this is a volatile sub component that is subliming (changing from gas directly to a solid) in the cold region of the bottle. And if since it crystallized, it is a white pure single subcomponent of guiacwood.

Or did it firm upon cooling and was in the surface of the guaicwood melt?

 

[pkiler]

These crystals form when you have overheated materials.

 

[Culpa Ire]

View attachment 336237
What IS that?

What you have there is a Tholian Web.

Unbeknownst to most, the Tholians, in their early evolution, were similar in size to the Vl’Hurg and G’Gugvuntt races, hence the size of the web. They probably got the wrong coordinates or something.

I wouldn’t worry about it; the worst that’ll happen is the bottle will end up in a different universe and someone will get a free bottle. It could even be your evil self...