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How are rosin and turpentine obtained from pine resin?
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Pine
A stand of stone pines (Pinus pinea) in DoƱana National Park near Seville, Spain.
Rosin and turpentine are derived from the oleoresināa natural fluid exudateāfound in pine trees. Because oleoresin is a mixture of resins dissolved in a volatile oil, it can be separated into its two primary components through distillation.12
Production Methods
- Gum Process: This traditional method involves tapping living trees to collect the oleoresin. When this exudate is distilled, the volatile portion becomes turpentine (or oil of turpentine), while the nonvolatile residue remains as rosin.31
- Wood Extraction: Rosin and turpentine can also be obtained from dead or shredded pine wood through steam distillation or solvent extraction.31
- Pulping By-product: In the manufacture of kraft paper, sulfate turpentine is recovered as a by-product during the chemical cooking of wood pulp.12
Once separated, the volatile turpentine serves as an industrial solvent and chemical raw material, while the solid, brittle rosin is utilized in products ranging from varnishes and adhesives to printing inks and instrument bow resin.312