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tung oil
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Quick Facts
Also called:
wood oil, or china wood oil
Related Topics:
drying oil
tung tree
See all related content
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tung oil

plant substance
Also known as: China wood oil, wood oil
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
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History

tung oil, pale-yellow, pungent drying oil obtained from the seeds of the tung tree. On long standing or on heating, tung oil polymerizes to a hard, waterproof gel that is highly resistant to acids and alkalies. It is used in quick-drying varnishes and paints, as a waterproofing agent, and in making linoleum, oilcloth, and insulating compounds. Tung oil is produced chiefly in China from the tung tree (q.v.; Aleurites fordii).