A POSSIBLE INDUSTRY

Taranaki Daily News, 13 June 1930, Page 9

A POSSIBLE INDUSTRY

MAKING TURPENTINE FROM PINES. RESEARCH IN CANTERBURY. Much interesting research work is being done at Canterbury College by Mr. T. H. McCombs on the possibility of using large pine plantations in the Dominion for the production of turpentine. During the course of a lecture on the subject to the Canterbury Philosophical- Institute, Mr. McCombs said that the probable commercial value of turpentine as a by-product from New Zealand pine plantations made investigation into the nature of the material available interesting. Possibly change of habitat altered the turpentine content of pines. It could not be assumed that, because a tree was used for such a purpose in other countries, it could be used for the same purpose in. New Zealand. The Japanese camphor laurel, for instance, did not produce camphor in commercial quantities in Australia. Many pines were used for turpentine. Pinus maritima was used in Southern France, Pinus sylvestris in Northern Europe, and Pinus longifolia in India. Several different pines were used in America. In New Zealand the pine planted in quantity, both by companies and by private plantation-holders, was insignus, or Pinus radiata. There were more than 250,000 to 300,000 acres of that Pine in New Zealand. As far as could be ascertained, it had not been used for production of turpentine commercially. Experimental bleeding had been carried out in South Africa and at Riverhead, Auckland. A few trees had been bled locally. No records of results from South Africa were available, but the State Forest Service in Auckland was optimistic as to the possibilities of producing turpentine as an industry for North Auckland Maoris. Pinus pinaster, or maritima, grew well in New Zealand. It was the source of the French turpentine. If it could be shown that it was a valuable source of turpentine in New Zealand, it might be economically practicable to plant sandy coastal areas with it. On the market there were two main types of turpentine, gum turpentine, or spirits of turpentine, and wood turpentine. All first-grade turpentines were of the gum type. Wood turpentine was produced by the steam distillation of resinous wood. Wood turpentine was not as valuable, as it contained more impurity, and workers using it were likely to be affected by it. By distilling the stumps, Americans obtained about five to six gallons of. turpentine per ton of wood treated. Two to three gallons per ton could be obtained from Pinus raliata trees in Canterbury. Pinus pinaster gave yields of the same order as radiata. Gum turpentines of both those trees had been collected and examined. The yields in Canterbury were fair for both trees. It was reported from Auckland that the trees bled quite freely, and that commercial yields were obtainable. Work on the yields was being done by the Forestry'Department at Canterbury College. The slightly higher density and boiling point of radiata turpentine caused the turpentine to be slower in drying than that -from pinaster, but when made up into varnish it did not make any appreciable difference to the drying time. It made quite satisfactory varnish. It appeared that from both Pinus radiata and Pinus pinaster wood a firstclass wood turpentine might be obtained, which, after rectification, would be comparable with the best gum turpentine. The yield was fairly low, but it might be a valuable by-product, especially in the wood-pulp industry. In the chemical process of making pulp the wood had to be cut into chips, and it might pay to extract the turpentine by passing steam through the digester before the sulphite was added. Dr. 11. G. Denham said that many native woods in New Zealand had not been properly examined in regard to their essential oils. Mr. McCombs was doing valuable work, and investigations on the lines he had taken up should be be continued. 1 . !