Knowra Turpentine Turpentine Turpentine is a volatile mixture of terpenes distilled from oleoresin, chiefly that of pine trees. It has been used as a solvent, paint thinner, and chemical feedstock.
Pine oleoresin : A resinous exudate from pine trees, containing volatile oil and nonvolatile resin acids. Distillation separates turpentine’s volatile fraction from the resin acids in this raw material.
Oil painting : A painting technique that suspends pigments in a drying oil, commonly linseed oil. Artists have used turpentine to thin oil paint and clean brushes.
Naval stores : Products from pine trees, including tar, pitch, rosin, and turpentine, historically used in shipbuilding. Turpentine became commercially valuable alongside other pine products needed by wooden ships.
Mineral spirits : A petroleum-derived mixture of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons used as a paint solvent. Unlike turpentine, mineral spirits come from petroleum rather than pine oleoresin.
Solvent poisoning : Illness caused by inhaling, swallowing, or absorbing toxic organic solvents. Ingesting turpentine or breathing concentrated vapors can cause serious poisoning.
Monoterpene : A class of terpenes built from two isoprene units, commonly found in essential oils. Turpentine consists chiefly of monoterpenes, which account for its volatility.
Paint thinner : A liquid solvent used to reduce the viscosity of paint or remove uncured coatings. Turpentine is one traditional solvent used for thinning oil-based paints.
Pine tapping : The practice of cutting or wounding pine trees to collect oleoresin. Tapping supplied the resin from which traditional turpentine was distilled.
Turpentine substitute : A commercial solvent blend sold as an alternative to turpentine, often based on petroleum hydrocarbons. Substitutes can resemble turpentine in use without sharing its botanical origin or composition.
Aspiration pneumonia : Lung inflammation caused when liquid or other material enters the airways. Swallowed turpentine can enter the lungs during vomiting, creating a risk of chemical pneumonitis.
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