Rosin taken when melting it. It is soluble in alcohol, ether, benzene and chloroform. Rosin consists mainly of abietic acid, and combines with caustic alkalis to form salts (rosinates or pinates) that are known as rosin soaps. In addition to its extensive use in soap making, rosin is largely employed in making varnishes (including fine violin varnishes), sealing wax and various adhesives. It is also used for preparing shoemakers' wax, for pitching lager beer casks, and numerous other purposes such as providing backing surfaces to tin ware, copper ware, or even silver and gold vessels when embossing or engraving them (its
Rosin production. American rosin is obtained from the turpentine of Longleaf Pine "Pinus palustris" and Loblolly Pine "P. taeda". In Mexico, most of the rosin is derived from live tapping of several species of pine trees, but mostly "Pinus oocarpa", "Pinus leiophylla", "Pinus devoniana" and "Pinus montezumae". Most production is concentrated in the west-central state of Michoacán. The main source of supply in Europe is the French district of Landes in the departments of Gironde and Landes, where the Maritime Pine "P. pinaster" is extensively cultivated. In the north of Europe, rosin is obtained from the Scots Pine "P. sylvestris", and