Part I.] Puran Singh: Turpentine Oil and Indian Rosin. 75 
PART II. 
Note on the Clarification of Indian Rosin. 
At the instance of the Inspector-General of Forests to the Gov¬ 
ernment of India, the Conservator of Forests, Western Circle, 
United Provinces, Naini Tal, started an enquiry as to the com¬ 
mercial value of the Indian rosin manufactured at the Bhowali 
Turpentine Distillery for mixing with shellac for which purpose 
a large quantity of American rosin is imported and sold at higher 
prices than what the Indian rosin has fetched. According to the 
reports obtained by the Conservator, the Indian rosin being of too 
dark a colour, was found to be unsuitable as a mixing agent. With 
a view to find out a cheap commercial method for the proper clari¬ 
fication and if possible the decolourisation of Indian rosin, experi¬ 
ments have been carried on for some time past by the writer and 
this Note embodies the main results obtained. It is hoped that the 
suggestions embodied in this report if properly carried out will 
improve the quality of the Indian rosin to the required standard 
of colour and purity. 
Before giving the results of the author’s experiments, a general 
description of rosin and of the French and American methods of its 
manufacture may well be given here. 
Rosin as it is well known is the fixed residue obtained as a 
by-product in the distillation of turpen- 
General properties of rosin. tine. It is a transparent or translucent 
resin of a faint terebinthinous odour. It 
is generally tasteless. It is extremely brittle and has a shallow 
concoidal fracture. It varies in colour from a pale amber to dark 
reddish brown. The darkest kind has the commercial name of 
“ Black Rosin ” and the light coloured variety is known as “ White 
Rosin.” It softens at 70°—80° C. and in boiling water assumes the 
consistency of a semi-fluid. It generally completely melts at 130° C. 
though sometimes at a slightly higher temperature. When very 
strongly heated, it ignites and burns with a very smoky yellow flame, 
leaving behind traces of mineral matter. The specific gravity of 
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