TERPENE & ALLIED PRODUCTS

Rosin, also called colophony or Greek pitch (Pix græca), is a solid form of resin obtained from pines and some other plants, mostly conifers, produced by heating fresh liquid resin to vaporize the volatile liquid terpene components. It is semi-transparent and varies in color from yellow to black. At room temperature rosin is brittle, but it melts at stove-top temperatures. It chiefly consists of different resin acids, especially abietic acid. The term colophony or colophonia resina comes from its origin in Colophon, an ancient Ionic city

APPLICATIONS:-

1. Rosin is an ingredient in printing inks, photocopying and laser printing paper, varnishes, adhesives (glues), soap, paper sizing, soda, soldering fluxes, and sealing wax.

2. Rosin can be used as a glazing agent in medicines and chewing gum.

3. A mixture of pitch and rosin is used to make a surface against which glass is polished when making optical components such as lenses.

4. Rosin is added in small quantities to traditional linseed oil/sand gap fillers, used in building work.

5.When mixed with waxes and oils, rosin is the main ingredient of mystic smoke, a gum which, when rubbed and suddenly stretched, appears to produce puffs of smoke from the finger tips.

 6. Olympic weightlifters rub the soles of their weightlifting boots in rosin to improve traction on the platform.

 7. Applied onto the starting line of drag racing courses used to improve traction.

 8. Bull riders rub rosin on their rope and glove for additional grip.

 9. Baseball pitchers and ten-pin bowlers may use small cloth bag of powdered rosin for better ball control.

 10. Fine Art; Used for tempera emulsions and as painting-medium component for oil paintings. Soluble in oil of turpentine and turpentine substitute, needs to be warmed.

 11. Dog groomers use powdered rosin to aid in removal of excess hair from deep in the ear canal.