Pear Oil in Dishwashing Guide

Isoamyl acetate, also known as isopentyl acetate, is an organic compound that is the ester formed from isoamyl alcohol and acetic acid. It is a clear colorless liquid that is only slightly soluble in water, but very soluble in most organic solvents.

Isoamyl acetate has a strong odor (similar to Juicy Fruit or a pear drop) which is also described as similar to both banana and pear. Banana oil is a term that is applied either to pure isoamyl acetate or to flavorings that are mixtures of isoamyl acetate, amyl acetate, nitrocellulose and other flavors. Banana oil is made naturally by the banana plant[1]; it is also produced synthetically[2]. Pear oil commonly refers to a solution of isoamyl acetate in ethanol that is used as an artificial flavor.

Isoamyl acetate is also used to test the effectiveness of respirators or gas masks because it has a strong smell which is generally not experienced as unpleasant and that can be detected at low concentrations, and has low toxicity.

It is also used as a solvent for some varnishes and nitrocellulose lacquers, as well as being a honey bee pheromone and can be used to attract large groups of honeybees to a small area.

Isoamyl acetate is released by a honey bee's sting apparatus where it serves as a pheromone beacon to attract other bees and provoke them to sting. [3]

As a solvent and carrier for materials such as nitrocellulose, it was extensively used in the aircraft industry for stiffening and wind-proofing fabric flying surfaces, where it and its derivatives were generally known as 'dope'. Now that most aircraft are all-metal, such use is now limited to model aircraft, where it is still popularly used for strengthening tissue coverings and balsa wood....