gum turpentine

chemistry

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 29, 2026

Quick Summary

Gum turpentine is a volatile liquid derived from the oleoresin of coniferous trees, primarily pines. This oleoresin is a mixture of resins dissolved in a volatile oil. When distilled, this mixture separates into oil of turpentine and rosin.1

Chemically, oil of turpentine is composed mainly of cyclic monoterpene hydrocarbons, with pinene being the predominant constituent. It is a good solvent for sulfur, phosphorus, resins, waxes, oils, and natural rubber. Historically, it was widely used as a solvent in paints and varnishes, and it remains a preferred choice for oil painters as a thinner and brush cleaner.12

Currently, its largest use is in the chemical industry as a raw material for synthesizing resins, insecticides, oil additives, and synthetic pine oil and camphor. Gum turpentine is specifically obtained from the exudate of living pine trees that have been tapped.123

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

4 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

turpentine
…bits of pine wood, while gum turpentine results from the distillation of the exudate of the living pine tree obtained by tapping. Crude turpentine obtained from the living pine by tapping typically contains 65 percent gum rosin and 18 percent gum turpentine.
Read More
…bits of pine wood, while gum turpentine results from the distillation of the exudate of the living pine tree obtained by tapping. Crude turpentine obtained from the living pine by tapping typically contains 65 percent gum rosin and 18 percent gum turpentine.
Read More