OF OIVIS^N Of 



FORliTRY 



or 



WOOD TURPENTINES: THEIR ANALYSIS, REFINING, 

 AND COMPOSITION. 



PURPOSE OF THE STUDY. 



Crude wood turpentine is one of the important products obtained 

 by most of the chemical industries which use waste resinous wood as 

 a raw material. Eefined turpentines from these crude wood distil- 

 lates have been on the market for several years, but there has been 

 a general lack of authentic information concerning them, especially 

 on the relations existing between methods of production, their com- 

 position, and their properties. No simple method existed for the 

 determination of differences in their composition. Moreover, strong 

 prejudice has developed against any product sold under the name of 

 wood turpentine, which has never* been standardized, so that there 

 exists a large variation in the products from different plants. Also 

 there is a marked difference in odor between most of the wood tur- 

 pentines and the commonly used " gum " turpentine or " spirits," and 

 still further this prejudice has been aided by a general lack of definite 

 information. Naturally this has resulted in a poor market for wood 

 turpentines, with a correspondingly slow development of the indus- 

 try and incomplete utilization of the various kinds of waste wood 

 available. It was for the purpose of improving these conditions that 

 this investigation was undertaken. 



The following results have been obtained : 



(1) A simple distillation method has been developed for the exami- 

 nation of turpentines. From it more complete and accurate conclu- 

 sions can be drawn in regard to the composition of a turpentine than 

 could be had from former methods of equal simplicity. 



(2) Methods of refining applicable to wood turpentines of a wide 

 range in composition have been described, based on the refining of 

 five samples of crude wood turpentine produced by as many different 

 commercial processes. 



(3) It has been shown how the composition of wood turpentines is 

 influenced by different methods of production, by refining, and by 

 storage, and how wood turpentines compare with gum turpentines in 

 composition. 



58637 Bull. 10513 2 9 



