Turpentine Oil

#### Turpentine Oil. **Turpentine Oil**, the "world's largest essential oil", shall be discussed briefly here since it is a basic raw material in the production of so many important perfumery materials: camphene, citronellal, citronellol, geraniol and geranylesters, hydroxycitronellal, isoborneol, isobornyl esters, linalool and esters, menthol and esters, myrcene and derivatives, nerol and esters, nopol and esters, terpineol and esters, etc., etc. The annual world production is probably more than five times the total world production of all other essential oils combined (see tables in the rear of this book). The main producers are the U. S. A., France, the U.S.S.R., Portugal, Spain, India, Greece, etc. More than half the world production comes from the U.S.A. The turpentine (oleoresin) is steam distilled to yield the turpentine oil and the rosin (as a residue). There are several types of so-called turpentine oil, apart from the steam distilled "balsam turpentine" which is described under this monograph: **DD**** ****Wood**** ****Turpentine**** **is obtained by dry distillation of the chopped wood and roots from the pines. The oil may be redistilled or fractionated during a second distillation. **Steam**** ****Distilled**** ****Wood**** ****Turpentine**** **is steam distilled from the pine wood, or from the extracts of the wood by solvents. **Sulfate**** ****Turpentine**** **is a by-product from the production of sulfate-cellulose. It separates an insoluble layer on top of the sulfate lye, but it carries a typical by-odor from this lye. **Sulfite Turpentine **is a by-product from the sulfite-cellulose production, similar to the above. None of these two turpentines can be used for the production of terpineol or other derivatives of alpha-pinene. The same can be said about DD wood turpentine. From a perfumery point of view the most important is the steam distilled wood turpentine which is rectified to yield **Pine Oil **(yellow and white), and the so-called wood spirits of turpentine. Pine oil yellow and white are used in perfumery for detergents, household cleaners, insecticides and various sprays, and they serve also as basic raw materials in the isolation of such important components as: fenchyl alcohol, methyl chavicol, terpineol, etc., and these chemicals are, in turn, further processed into a large number of important perfume and flavor materials: anethole, borneol, fenchone, fenchyl acetate, menthone, etc. (see **Pine**** ****Oil**). **Steam**** ****Distilled**** ****Turpentine**** ****Oil**** **from the natural oleoresin ("balsam turpentine") is a water-white or almost colorless, mobile liquid with a peculiar warm-balsamic, refreshing odor, reminiscent of all the everyday products from where we meet it: paint, stain removers, insecticides, solvents, etc. However, in many of these uses, the true turpentine oil has been replaced by wood turpentine spirits, etc. (see previous summary of "other" turpentine oils). American turpentine oil contains 25—35 % betapinene and only about 50% alpha-pinene, and is thus uneconomical for production of terpineol. European and East Indian turpentines are rich in alpha-pinene, but very low in beta-pinene. They are excellent starting materials in the production of terpineol. Beta-pinene is a starting material in the production of camphene, nopol, nopyl acetate, etc., and it is an important basic material in the production of certain insecticides. Consequently, European terpineol is partially a synthetic product, while the American terpineol is an "isolate" (from pine oil). Turpentine oil is also available as a rectified oil which evaporates without the slightest residue. This oil is used to some extent in perfumery, e.g. in the compounding of artificial pine needle oils, pine fragrances, etc., and in smaller amounts as a freshener. Due to the instability of the monoterpene, Pinene, turpentine oil does not keep well unless it is absolutely dry and in well filled and stoppered, cool-stored containers. Oxidation leads to the formation of peroxides, similar to the decomposition products of citrus oils. Older oils may even resinify and become viscous and odorless. The formation of peroxides is used to advantage in oil paints where the release of oxygen from the peroxides will speed up the drying of linseed oil (and other fixed oils) by affecting the unsaturated carbon atoms in the chief components of these paint oils. Turpentine oil Is, partly due to its world-wide distribution, not infrequently used as an adulterant in various essential oils, e.g. eucalyptus, pine needle, rosemary, spruce, etc.