Volatile oil originates from plants, possess a unique odor or flavor, mainly used in perfumes and flavorings. Following are some major difference between volatile and fixed oil.
| Volatile oil | Fixed Oil |
| Also called as an essential oil. | Also called as natural non-volatile oil. |
| Volatile oil can evaporate when placed under room temperature | Fixed oils do not evaporate at room temperature |
| They can be extracted easily by the distillation process | They require some specific techniques for extraction. |
| There is no spot (no permanent stain) left after evaporation | Some type of spot (permanent stain) left after evaporation |
| They are unable to undergo saponification | Fixed oils can be easily sponified. |
| Mixtures of cleoptenes & stearoptenes are termed as volatile oils | Esters of higher fatty acids & glycerin are called as fixed oils. |
| Posses high refractive index | Posses low refractive index |
| These are optically active. | These are optically inactive. |
| Their primary source is leaves,roots,in petals and bark. | Their major source is seeds of the plant. |
| These are optically active. | These are optically inactive. |
References:
1. Remington JP. Remington: The science and practice of pharmacy. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006.
2. Bewley JD, Black MJ, Halmer P. The encyclopedia of seeds: science, technology and uses. CABI publishing, 2006.