Turpentine is a colorless or yellowish liquid that has a strong odor and is highly flammable. It is used chiefly in making such chemical products as disinfectants, insecticides, medicines, and perfumes and in making synthetic rubber. It can be used as a solvent (substance that dissolves another substance) to remove tar, adhesives, and some paint stains. Some turpentine is used in the processing and flavoring of certain foods.
Turpentine is made from coniferous (cone-bearing) trees, primarily pines. There are three types of turpentine. They are, in order of importance: (1) sulfate turpentine, (2) gum turpentine, and (3) wood turpentine.
Sulfate turpentine accounts for nearly 70 percent of the turpentine produced in the world. As trees are converted to paper pulp, a vapor containing sulfate turpentine forms. After condensation occurs, the sulfate turpentine can be separated and collected as a liquid.
Gum turpentine is produced by wounding (cutting) the bark of living trees. A solution of sulfuric acid is applied to the wound, which measures about 1/2 inch (1.3 centimeters) wide and 1/2 inch deep. The acid causes gum to ooze out for as long as four weeks, until the wound closes. The wound is then reopened and a sulfuric acid solution is applied again. This procedure is repeated throughout the gathering period, which generally lasts from early spring to mid-fall. The gum is taken to a steam distillery, where the turpentine is separated and collected. Gum turpentine accounts for about 30 percent of world turpentine production.
Wood turpentine is produced from stumps and logs. The wood is gathered and taken to a steam distillation plant. There, it is shredded and mixed with a solvent, which dissolves the turpentine. The resulting solution is then heated to vaporize the turpentine, which is then cooled until it forms a liquid. Wood turpentine makes up only a small percentage of the turpentine made in the world.
