Table of Contents

Resin

Gutta-percha

Gutta-percha is found in the milky sap of many plant species. The most significant is gutta-percha, a tree that grows on the Malay Peninsula and in Indonesia. It is less flexible than rubber but shows greater chemical resistance and high resistance to climatic factors. It is used, among others, in dentistry, for root canal treatment. The hermetic closing of the root canal system is achieved by heating gutta-percha to 200°C, which becoming liquid evenly fills even the smallest nooks and crannies in the root canals. 1)

Colophony

Colophony (rosin) comes from the name of the Ionian colophon, a soft resin of natural origin, a residue after the distillation of turpentine from the resin of coniferous trees, mainly pine. Rosin is a brittle, very brittle, glassy, translucent substance, yellow through dark red to dark brown. It has a characteristic resinous smell. It is also flammable and inflammable. 2)

Olibanum

Olibanum is also known as frankincense and is a resin extracted from trees of the incense genus growing in the semi-deserts and desert fringes of northeastern Africa and the Indian Peninsula. With its refreshing citrus aroma, olibanum has been used for millennia in cleansing rituals and meditation. 3)

Blue amber

Blue amber is a type of amber derived from the resin of the extinct Hymenaea protera tree. It can only be found in the mountain mines around Santiago in the Dominican Republic. When sunlight falls on blue amber, it reflects off the surface and makes the amber appear to have an iridescent blue tint. In artificial light, it does not differ in color from other ambers. In ultraviolet light, it glows bright blue. 4)

Manila elemi

Manila elemi is a natural resin obtained from the canarium tree, which grows in the Philippines and others that grow in Central America and Mexico. It is a soft, opaque, semi-solid, greenish-yellow, viscous substance with a turpentine and lemon smell. 5)