Kauri, Agathis

A different reason for appropriating a material object comes from the kauri (Agathis alba) and merkus (Pinus merkusii) pine forests of Malaysia. Local people collect soft resin from these trees and sell it as a cash crop. Under the name Malay damar, this exudate is exported as a valued ingredient for high quality varnishes. 

Ofman, D.J. et al., Flavonoid profiles of New Zealand kauri and other species of Agathis, Phytochemistry, 38, 1223, 1995. 

CI oH I gO, Mr 154.25. A bicyclic monoterpene with the fenchane structure that was first detected in the turpentine oil of the pine Pinus palusiris. Various stereoisomers and their mixtures occur in numerous plant oils, e.g., (-)-j8-F. (oil, [a]o° -31°), in the essential oil of Lawson s cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, Cupressaceae) or (+)-a-F. (cryst., mp. 47-47.5 °C, [a] +12.5°) from the marsh resin obtained from peat bogs (= kauri resin of the tree Agathis australis, Araucaria-ceae). Fenchyl acetate is used in perfumes with a coniferous nuance. 

Structural types from New Zealand kauri gum or copal. Kauri is the Maori name for Agathis australis (Araucariaceae), while copal is the Spanish version of the Nahuatl (Aztec) word copalli, meaning resin. Kauri gum was formerly an important raw material for the manufacture of varnish and linoleum, and it has been a valuable source of new terpenes for natural products chemists. 

Manila Copal is exuded from Dammara orientalis (Indonesia, Philippines), while Kauri Copal derives from Agathis australis. They are soluble in alcohols and ketones. Copal softens at 90-115 °C and has an a.v. of 110-141. Uses are in paper coatings, finishes for various substrates, - adhesives and - inks. Dispersions in water, formed by salt formation, are used in floor - polishes. In 1974, 500 mt were produced. 

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