Request the catalog you can find on page 21 of Aldrichimica Acta Vol 36, No 1. (http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/aldrich/acta/al_acta_36_1.pdf)
(http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/aldrich/acta/al_acta_36_1.pdf)
It's free, they'll send the Flavors & Fragrances brochure to anyone, and is likely to give you an answer, and/or references.
From the German "Riechstofflexikon" :
http://www.omikron-online.de/cyberchem/aroinfo/propioph.htm (http://www.omikron-online.de/cyberchem/aroinfo/propioph.htm)
7.2. 1-Phenyl-1-propanone
1-Phenyl-1-propanone [93-55-0] , ethyl phenyl ketone, propiophenone, C6H5COCH2CH3, C9H10O, Mr 134.12.
Properties. 1-Phenyl-1-propanone is a colorless liquid with a flowery odor, insoluble in water, readily soluble in organic solvents. Typical reactions can be carried out at the methylene group, the carbonyl group, and at the aromatic nucleus.
mp 18 °C
bp 218 °C
d 420 1.009
nD20 1.5258
Flash point 87 °C
Production. Propiophenone is produced by Friedel – Crafts acylation of benzene with propionic acid chloride in the presence of an equivalent amount of aluminum chloride (99). Another industrial method is the catalytic ketonization of benzoic acid with propionic acid over a calcium acetate – aluminum oxide catalyst at 440 – 520 °C ^(100).
Uses. 1-Phenyl-1-propanone is used mainly as an intermediate for pharmaceuticals such as D-Propoxyphen(101) , phenylpropanolamine, and Phenmetrazine(102)
(99) A. I. Vogel, J. Chem. Soc. 1948, 614.
(100) Union Carbide Corp., Patent US4172097 (http://l2.espacenet.com/dips/viewer?PN=US4172097&CY=gb&LG=en&DB=EPD)
, 1979 (C. A. Smith, L. F. Theiling).
(101) Eli Lilly, Patent US2728779 (http://l2.espacenet.com/dips/viewer?PN=US2728779&CY=gb&LG=en&DB=EPD)
, 1955 (A. Pohland).
(102) Boehringer Ingelheim, Patent US2835669 (http://l2.espacenet.com/dips/viewer?PN=US2835669&CY=gb&LG=en&DB=EPD)
, 1958 (O. Thoma).