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
Red rosin paper red rosin paper is used to reduce air and moisture flow through a wall or floor, create a "slip sheet" so different materials can slip by each other as they expand and contract, keep dust from working down through a floor, minimize squeaking, and sometimes as part of built-up roofs. Rosin paper is also temporarily used to protect a work site during construction. Rosin paper may have a polyurethane coating to improve moisture resistance and tearing. It is not acid free particularly containing abietic acid and comes in many size rolls up to wide. Papers from the Middle Ages were