Sandarac

Sandarak ( Sandarach, lat Resina sandaraca, French Sandaraque, Eng. Sandarac ) is the natural resin of a shrub or tree-like conifer, the Sandarakbaum ( Tetraclinis articulata ).

Term

The term Sandarak was used in the past for various species of the family of the cypress family ( Cupressaceae ). Especially in Europe, the resin of juniper and cypress was also often referred to as Sandarak or confused with the resin of the native to North Africa Sandarakbaumes. The botanical separation of the parental variety of real Sandarak of the genus Juniperus was not recognized until the late 18th century. Until the early 20th century, circulated names such Callistris Quadrivalis or Thuja articulata as botanical names for the source plant of the African Sandaraks. One of Australia in the coming trading, called in English " Pine gum" type of jewelry cypress ( Callitris ) of Callitris preisii, forming larger pieces than the African species, but is otherwise in their utility equivalent.

Extraction

The mastic resin is similar spontaneously exuded from the bark or obtained by scoring the same. In the trade it's coming from Essaouira on Morocco's west coast mostly over France, but also Venice and Trieste. There are two different varieties: ordinary and fine, or naturell ( in sortis ) and choice ( electa ). The latter variety is pale yellow, oblong, white powdered grains and stalks that appear transparent and glass glitter on the rupture. The other consists of turbid and impure pieces, mixed with smaller Grus, sand, soil and wood particles.

Properties

The resin is brittle and easily breakable, has a balsamic - resinous odor and weak bitter taste when chewed and softened not (as mastic ), but decays into a gritty powder. In alcohol, ether, acetone, fusel oil and it is completely, only partially soluble in oil of turpentine, carbon disulphide, chloroform and petroleum ether. Sandarak consists mainly in addition to small amounts of essential oil and bitter substances from the group of the resin acids Pimarane and labdanes as the Communinsäure and Communol. The latter tend to polymerize, which explains the greater hardness of the resin compared to mastic.

Use

Sandarak used to produce Räucherpulvern, but mainly from Weingeistfirnissen and polishes as well as fat and volatile paints. For the surface treatment but it is always used in conjunction with elemi, Venetian turpentine, castor oil or something, because it provides although very hard, but brittle, crumbling the subjugated and not particularly bright deposits. Finely powdered Sandarak reflects the known Radierpulver can be made writable again with the etched spots on paper.