In 1648, the newly formed NorrlSndska TjSrkompaniet (The Wood Tar Company of North Sweden) was granted sole export privileges for the country by the King of Sweden. As Stockholm grew in importance, pine tar trading concentrated at this port and all the barrels were marked “Stockholm Tar”. By 1900, NorrlSndska TjSrkompaniet had lost its control of the pine tar export business, and other exporters were again working out of other ports and marking their product accordingly. Nevertheless, over the centuries “Stockholm Tar” has come to mean a high quality light colored wood tar. Gamble describes one of the earliest Swedish methods of making tar in Norrland (Northern Sweden). The peasants dug up and cleaned the roots of Swedish pine trees (Pinus silvestris) in the late summer. They then transported the roots to the burn site where they were split and stacked to weather during the winter. The ‘dale’ or burning ground, was built of logs in a scientific manner. It was built on a slope which sometimes forms one side, in the shape of a funnel, with a spout at the lower end of the slope. The outer walls of the ‘dale’ were built with logs split in two, and a layer of earth was then placed thereon before the interior was lined, either with clay, iron sheet, or thick cardboard.” In the summer, the split roots or fatwood were stacked in the kiln and covered with peat and turf. Brush wood was used to provide heat, but the heat was controlled so that the remaining fibers were not burned and the roots give up their liquid. This tar was high in turpentine and was in great demand.3 By the turn of the 20th century , this traditional way competed with more modern methods of production. Although it produced higher quality tar, it was labor intensive and could not be competitive in the world market.

Solvent Industry

Turpentine is a solvent for many alkyd resins and has more solvency than mineral spirits or odorless mineral spirits. Its high solvent strength makes it the best choice for thinning oils and natural resins. It is considered to be a better solvent than mineral spirits, and the best solvent for natural resins, such as dammar and mastic also it readily dissolves most of the natural varnish resins. It is recommended for artists' painting or varnish applications over other products.

Chemical Intermediates

In the chemical industry, it is used as a source of raw materials in the synthesis of fragrant chemical commercial compounds such as camphor, linalool, alpha-terpineol, and geraniol. These products are usually produced from alpha-pinene and beta-pinene.