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Colophony

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Condensed Handbook of Occupational Dermatology

Abstract

Colophony (rosin) is a resin obtained from different species of coniferous trees. There are three types of colophony, depending on the method of recovery: gum rosin, wood rosin and tall oil rosin. Gum rosin is obtained from various species of living pine trees. The trees are tapped for oleoresin, which is then distilled to obtain turpentine as the distillate and gum rosin as the residue. Wood rosin is produced from old pine stumps, while tall oil rosin is obtained as a by-product in the sulphate pulping of coniferous wood. The major types produced are gum rosin and tall oil rosin. In technical literature the term “colophony” corresponds to gum rosin. In dermatological literature tall oil rosin and wood rosin are also included in the term “colophony” since the resins contain the same major chemical components and allergens and are used in various technical products regardless of the source. In American literature the term “rosin” is more frequently used. China, Latin American countries and Portugal are great producers of gum rosin. The USA, Finland and the countries of the former USSR are great producers of tall oil rosin. Approximately 1.1 million tons of colophony are produced annually and the absolute majority is chemically modified to various derivatives.

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Authors
  1. A.-T. Karlberg
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Dermatology, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenkatu 41 aA, 00250, Helsinki, Finland

    Lasse Kanerva M.D., Ph.D.

  2. Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Friedrich-Schiller University, Erfurter Str. 35, 07743, Jena, Germany

    Peter Elsner

  3. Department of Occupational Dermatology and the National Institute for Working Life, Karolinska Hospital, 11776, Stockholm, Sweden

    Jan E. Wahlberg M.D., Ph.D.

  4. School of Medicine, University of California, Box 0989, Surge 100, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0989, USA

    Howard I. Maibach M.D.

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© 2004 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Karlberg, AT. (2004). Colophony. In: Kanerva, L., Elsner, P., Wahlberg, J.E., Maibach, H.I. (eds) Condensed Handbook of Occupational Dermatology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18556-4_28

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18556-4_28

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-44348-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-18556-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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