Rosin Derivatives

Rosin is the primary product of rosin sources. In China, rosin normally is meant Gum Rosin. There has been produced 661,200 metric tons of gum rosin that China contributed 76% of global production (Forcast, 2011). Wood Rosin and Tall Oil Rosin (TOR) also are the primary products of rosin sources. USA is the largest production country of TOR in the world, which to possessed 50% markets. In data of 2011, the production of rosin is 1,270,000 metric tons, the separate percentage of gum rosin, wood rosin and TOR were 68%, 1%, 31%.

Gum rosin is tapping the oleoresin of living pine trees which pines are grown in the middle-latitude zone, such as the countries of China, Brazil, Indonesia, India and other Latin America. TOR is a by-product of the kraft pulping process. The USA, Finland, Russia, Sweden, France, Japan and Australia is the main country of manufactures.

Now today, the newly sustainable gum rosin processing will change market dynamics. According to Charles Morris said, president of the Pine Chemicals Association (PCA), the hybrid pine trees can increase the production of pine oleoresin from 2 kilograms to 6~8 kilograms annually. The new plantation system can increases number to 7,000 to 10,000 trees in a year, compared with the number of 1,500 to 2,000 trees, a worker harvests in a forest with difficult terrain an dense underbrush.

In this new renewable system, hybrid trees can be tapped after six years and continue to be tapped for resin for up to 20 years before replanted. These new methods are more profitable and more sustainable.

The plantation system is now standard practice in Brazil and is starting in China. The U.S will occur slowly but it could happen to supply gum rosin will improve.

Rosin Derivatives are comprised of several kinds of modified rosins, ester gums, rosin-based phenolic resins and other rosin resins. We group them into four lines. Through process methods of esterification, disproportionation, hydrogenation, polymerization and other reactivities. The families have benefits of high softens point and viscosity, low solvent retention, low acidity, oxidation trend and crystallization trend.