Effect of solvent types on the yield and chemical properties of crude wood resin

Natural pine resin, produced from coniferous species with different techniques is a very valuable and ancient biochemical product. It has wide uses in the chemical industry, paper, road paint, plastic, medicine and cosmetic industries. In recent years, legal restrictions all over the world on consumption of synthetic resin lead the industry to biodegradable products. Although there are suitable forests for natural resin production in Turkey, commercial manufacturing and scientific studies on this subject are not at the desired level today. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of different solvent types on the yield and chemical properties of crude wood resin. As a result of the analysis, extraction yields were found between 16% and 22%, and the highest yield was obtained in the ethanol-benzene solvent system. Collaterally to the yield, the highest acid and saponification numbers were found in alcohol-benzene extracts as 174,87 and 180,33 mg KOH /g, respectively. In order to evaluate our national resources and our current potential in crude wood rosin production, more detailed and effective studies should be carried out on the physical and chemical factors that affect the yield and quality of crude wood rosin .