MTO Turpentine

Turpentine (which is also called the spirit of turpentine, oil of turpentine, wood turpentine, terebinthine, terebinthine, and (colloquially), turps) is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin harvested from living trees, mainly pines. Mainly used as a specialized solvent, it is also a source of material for organic syntheses.

Turpentine is composed of terpenes, primarily the monoterpenes alpha- and beta-pinene, with lesser amounts of carene, camphene, dipentene, and terpinolene

SOURCE
One of the earliest sources of turpentine was the terebinth or turpentine tree (Pistacia terebinthus), a Mediterranean tree related to the pistachio. Important pines for turpentine production include maritime pine (Pinus pinaster), Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis), Masson’s pine (Pinus massoniana), Sumatran pine (Pinus merkusii), longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa). Canada balsam, also called Canada turpentine or balsam of fir, is turpentine that is made from the oleoresin of the balsam fir. Venice turpentine is produced from the western larch Larix occidentalis.

Industrial and other end uses
As a solvent, turpentine is used for thinning oil-based paints, for producing varnishes, and as a raw material for the chemical industry. Its use as a solvent in industrialized nations has largely been replaced by the much cheaper turpentine substitutes obtained from petroleum. A solution of turpentine and beeswax or carnauba wax has long been used as a furniture wax.

Turpentine and petroleum distillates such as coal oil and kerosene have been used medicinally since ancient times, as topical and sometimes internal home remedies. Topically, it has been used for abrasions and wounds, as a treatment for lice, and when mixed with animal fat it has been used as a chest rub or inhaler for nasal and throat ailments.[12] Many modern chest rubs, such as the Vicks variety, still contain turpentine in their formulations.