- Written By: S.E. Smith
- Edited By: Bronwyn Harris
- Last Modified Date: 04 April 2012
-
Copyright Protected:
2003-2012 Conjecture Corporation
Resin is a natural or synthetic compound which begins in a highly viscous state and hardens with treatment. Typically, resin is soluble in alcohol, but not in water. There are a number of different classes of resin, depending on exact chemical composition and potential uses. There are numerous applications for resins, ranging from art to polymer production, and many consumers interact with products which contain resin on a daily basis.
Natural resin comes from plants. A classic example is pine sap, which has the characteristic sharp odor of terpene compounds. As anyone who has interacted with pine sap knows, the substance is very viscous, but it hardens over time. A number of other plants produce resins, and plant resins have been used by humans for thousands of years. Some plants exude a similar substance called gum or gum resin which does interact with water. Gum tends to be softer and more malleable than resin.
Plant resin can be clear to dark brown in color, and it varies in opacity and hardness. Some plant resin is also extremely volatile, since it contains unstable compounds. Misidentification of resinous trees can sometimes lead to unfortunate accidents, since some resins contain heptanes, flammable and potentially explosive hydrocarbons. The popular decorative material amber is fossilized plant resin. The rich golden color of amber is a common shade for plant resins, but amber can also be found in more rare colors, like blue.
Humans have been using natural resins for thousands of years. Pine pitch has been used to seal boats, mummies, food containers, and an assortment of other things. It has also been used as a component in varnish, lacquer, inks, perfumes, jewelry, and many other objects. With human technological advances came the realization that resins could be formulated into polymers, and the discovery of synthetic resins followed shortly after.
For the most part, polymers made with “resins” are actually made with synthetic resin, which is cheaper and easier to refine. Synthetic resin is much more stable, predictable, and uniform than natural resin as well, since it is made under controlled conditions without the possibility of the introduction of impurities. These resins are made by combining chemicals in a laboratory to stimulate a reaction which results in the formulation of a resinous compound. Once formed, the resin can be used in the production of plastics, paints, and many of the same substances that natural resin is used in.
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Discuss this Article
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anon259104
Post 42 |
I would like to use resin for crochet purses to make them hold their shape and appear leather like. Is this possible? |
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anon198814
Post 39 |
is it expensive? |
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anon164680
Post 36 |
How many types of resins are there? How are they identified? |
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anon161532
Post 35 |
I want to make resin tabletops and put items in them. How do I do that, and what kind do I buy? |
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anon158104
Post 34 |
can you add resin to paint and what would be the effect in painting a wall? |
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anon152122
Post 33 |
are there any medicinal uses of resins? |
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anon146958
Post 32 |
what is the basic difference between polymer and resin? |
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anon145128
Post 30 |
is it possible to convert natural resin into an ion exchange resin? by any chance could you cite any process of doing so? |
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anon127354
Post 29 |
Is Hudyro carbon resin Escorez 1102 is more better or Coumerone Resin G-90 for Rubber V- Belt applications and why? |
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anon122193
Post 28 |
Is it possible to make resin is soluble in water? Did anyone try it before? |
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anon119053
Post 27 |
I'll answer all your resin questions. i work at a resin plant and all we manufacture is resin. @no. 9: if you ingest or inhale resin you will not die, but may get sick. @no. 3: No, resin is brittle and cannot be used as a glass for the simple fact it doesn't have a stable compound. @no. 7: Yes, it's used in the paper industry when they make the paper. It looks like confetti but when mixed with molten resin and pressed it will bond the paper together. @no. 14: Resins have different melting points. They can range from 99-160 mp. @no.8: Resin does expire but it has a long shelf life and no, air will not affect it unless it is in liquid form but just heat it back to its melting point and it will be ok. @no. 25: resins are also called rosins. |
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anon109131
Post 25 |
What is the another name for resin? |
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anon96272
Post 24 |
which kind of resin do we use for cad model. what does the resin piece contain? |
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anon94021
Post 23 |
i have not used resin before but I am getting into jewelry making and do not know what type to purchase? can you please give some advise. |
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anon89740
Post 21 |
I would like to know more about resin statues. how can they make statues? Are any other chemicals used for this? |
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anon73231
Post 20 |
What are some important medicinal functions of natural resin? |
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anon64577
Post 19 |
what is the composition of carmel resins? |
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anon63504
Post 18 |
please how can i start a medium scale industry in particle board manufacturing? |
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anon61674
Post 17 |
how was resin used?
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anon52598
Post 16 |
why is synthetic resin cheaper? |
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anon48840
Post 15 |
What kind of resin is used for scale models to build figure/tank/ships? E.g.: products from verlinden production, which have resins like a smooth plastic surface and smell good . |
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anon46142
Post 14 |
what is the melting point of resin? |
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anon42635
Post 13 |
is resin safe for fruits and vegetables? |
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anon42139
Post 12 |
do you need a spray booth to spray resin? we are a boat manufacturing company and the fire dept id requires a spray room or a spray booth. |
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anon35940
Post 11 |
i would like to know what kind of resin I need to mix with wood chips |
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anon32975
Post 10 |
i have some resin. what is best to mix it? i was told metholated spirits. so how many parts of metholated spirits to resin flakes? |
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anon31812
Post 9 |
will a person die if he/she ingests or inhales resin? |
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anon30490
Post 8 |
Usually we use resin for steam boiler water softener. It has been 5 years or more. Does the resin expire? ...and when resin is exposed to the air will that affect it? |
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anon29589
Post 7 |
Is this used in the paper industry? If so, for what?
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anon25737
Post 6 |
How is resin cleaned? |
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anon16965
Post 5 |
which polymer can be used to make break pad ? which polymer is used to manufacture break pad ? |
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Idris
Post 4 |
Usually I use 6 part resin and 3 part water for uniform fibre bonding for my MDF. If I want use multiple kind of wood that not uniform fibre, can I reduce water part? How I can explain this in term polymer and reaction? |
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anon7962
Post 3 |
Can resin be made hard enough to make sheets of and thus be used as a structural material instead of something like maybe glass?? |
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anon5449
Post 2 |
does resin can help seal pots from leaking?
if it is not properly mixed or applied can it affect it substantially? Considering we are making stonecast products by hand. |
