Turpentine

Basics

• A liquid consisting largely of terpenes from either Pine Trees or their Pine Resin
• In the past it was collected in a manner largely similar to Rubber Tree Tapping , but is now largely made as a byproduct in Papermills using Longleaf Pine as a feedstock
  • This is in addition to Rosin and other chemicals (which may or may not be recovered, often burnt in the Regenerator) such as Lignin etc
• Useful as a Solvent (especially in older recipes), however it can also be used in Organic Synthesis etc)
• In some older literature it goes by many other names as mentioned in the Wikipedia Page, but

“spirit of turpentine” and “oil of turpentine” are common

Production Routes

Traditional Tapping

• It is a bit more invasive (and more labor intensive) than Syrup Tapping
• It is well documented however, and also may be a relatively simple way to get more feedstocks locally
• Also before trying to iterate on the process, doing some “the old way” may provide insight

Modern Improvements on the Tapping Process

Basic

• Cover the scarified area to reduce evaporative losses + Infestations etc
  • Would this potentially lead to issues with mold etc or no?

More Speculative

• Could something akin to the Vacuum-Tubing System used for Maple Syrup Tubing be used, and would this improve flow similarly, or are there fundamental differences in the biology enough that this would not work well?
• This would reduce/remove evaporative losses and heavily reduce the labor required though

Biorefinery Approach

• What is the Average Chemical Yield of Turpentine and Rosin per kg or ton of Woodchips ?
• Does this vary depending on Fatwood content / tree age etc?

Internal Links

• Biorefinery / Paper Mill / Chemical Pulping
• Rosin

External Links

• The Wikipedia Page on Turpentine