CAMEO: Conservation and Art Materials Encyclopedia Online at www.mfa.
org/cameo
Resin Source/type
amber fossil resins
copal diterpenoid resins from
Trachylobium species (Africa),
Hymenaea courbaril (South
America) and Agathis
australis (New Zealand).
dammar triterpenoid resin from
Dipterocarpaceae trees in
southeast Asia of the genera
Shorea, Balanocarpus, or
Hopea
elemi from trees of the family
Burseraceae
mastic triterpenoid resin from mastic
shrub, Pistacia lentiscus, in
southern Europe and northern
Africa
rosin oleoresinous exudate from
Coniferae trees (longleaf pine
(Pinus palustris), Cuban pine
(P. caribaea), loblolly pine (P.
taeda), cluster pine (P.
pinaster), or Scotch pine (P.
sylvestris))
sandarac from the alerce tree Callitris
quadrivalvis native to
Australia and the sandarac
tree Tetraclinis articulata
native to northern Africa
shellac excreted by the female of the
lac insect, Laccifer lacca,
native to India
© 2006 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Properties of Natural Resins
Melting Density Ref. Index Acid Saponification Solubility Characteristics Uses
point (°C) number number
250-325 1.05-1.1 1.54 - 1.55 15-35 115-225 Amber is very resistant to yellowish, hard, glassy, fossil carved for jewelry, beads,
acids and alkalis and is not resin; Mohs hardness = 2.5- amulets, and small vessels;
entirely soluble in any solvent 3.0; Succinites emit succinic used as an ingredient in
acid when heated; fluoresces paint and oil/amber
a strong yellowish green to varnishes are made by
bluish white in short-wave UV dissolving melted amber in
light amber oil, turpentine oil, or
a drying oil.
180-340 1.04-1.13 1.528- 122-128 132-178 After melting, copals are May fluoresce white in short- varnishes for coaches,
1.545 soluble in oil and turpentine. wave UV linoleum, oilcloth, amber
Soft copals are partially subsitute
soluble in ethanol,
chloroform, glacial acetic acid.
90 1.04-1.12 1.515 - 16-18 20-65 Soluble in turpentine, oil, Darkens with age. Turns picture varnish, printing ink,
(softens); 1.539 chloroform and aromatic cloudy when moisture is mounting thin sections,
100-180 hydrocarbons present during preparation alkyd baking enamels, paper
(melts); and textile coatings
Tg =39.3
77-121 17.8-25 25-50 Soluble in ethanol, ether, Soft,sticky, odoriferous resin plasticizing additive in
chloroform, benzene. varnishes; lithographic inks,
Insoluble in water, turpentine paper and textile coatings,
and mineral spirits. perfume bases,
waterproofing
95-120; 1.074 1.535- 50-71 82-92 Soluble in oil, turpentine, Darkens and become less picture varnish, additive in
Tg =34.7 1.536 ethanol, diethyl ether, soluble with age. May turn oil media; printing ink,
benzene, acetone, chloroform cloudy if moisture is present chewing gum
during preparation.
100-150 1.07-1.10 1.525- 150-180 150-200 Soluble in ethanol, acetone, Oxidizes easily and may paints, varnishes, inks,
1.548 turpentine, acetic acid, carbon blacken with age. adhesives, sealing wax,
disulfide Combustible, burning with a soldering fluxes, and
yellow, sooty flame. linoleum. Also used to
increase sliding friction on
musical instrument bows and
dance floors
135-150 1.078- 1.545 140-155 143 Soluble in ethanol, ether, Brittle spirit and oil varnishes
1.088 acetone, amyl alcohol and hot
alkali.
115-120 1.035- 1.516 48-64 185-213 Fresh shellac is soluble in Iodine number = 10-18; furniture polishes, protective
1.140 ethanol, acetone. Shellac unbleached shellac will coating for plaster molds,
becomes insoluble with age autofluoresce orange; composition products;
moisture can produce a white gramophone records
haze on dried surface