One of the oldest segmentsof the chemical industry, pine chemicals are a family of renewable, naturally occurringmaterials derived from the pine tree (genus Pinus). Pine trees originate fromthe northern hemisphere but are now found worldwide.
Pine chemicals are derivedfrom the distillation of oleoresin or carbonization of wood. These chemicalsare largely obtained from three sources: 1) living trees; 2) dead pine stumpsand logs; and 3) as by-products of sulfate (or Kraft) pulping. Most distilledproducts are made from gum, stumps, logs, and sulfate pulp byproducts.
The pine tree, utilizedthrough the centuries as a valuable natural resource, has many applications inour society. In early civilizations thepine tree was used as fuel and shelter. As societies developed, the pitch (or sap) from the tree found use incaulking seams between the boards of sailing ships and pine lumber could beused for building materials, paper, board and tissue. Pine Chemicals areenvironmentally friendly products that use natural, renewable resources asprimary raw materials originating from sustainable forestry sources. For manyyears the pine chemicals industry has supplied bio renewable feed stocks to the$130 billion dollar coatings industry. These products include tall oil fattyacids (TOFA) and tall oil rosin sourced from pine trees, making them renewableand sustainable solutions.