Pine root pitch

A black mass, which softens at 40 60°C and is glossy rather like 

The carbon content is somewhat less and the oxygen content is more than that of wood rosin FF. Pine root pitch therefore disturbs the flame colour less than wood rosin FF or the combustion agent BL. It burns in combination with ammonium perchlorate at F/O = 2 10 producing a white brilliant flame. When it is used even in combination with potassium perchlorate, it produces a large burning rate which is as large as that of chlorate compositions. 

It is therefore very much admired as a fuel for non-chlorate compositions for chrysanthemum stars. 

Pine root pitch was obtained as a bi-product of the distillation of turpentine oil during World War II in Japan. After the war it was found to be useful for firework use, but the substance is not produced at present and is in short supply. When the reason why this material gives such a large burning rate to perchlorate compositions is better understood, it might surely be possible to produce such a substance by some other method. 

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BL-rosin almost always gives a good ignition, even with potassium nitrate composition. Pine root pitch is more effective than BL-rosin. Shellac or... 

There were a number of traditional aboriginal uses of jack pine (Maries et al., 2000), some of which are inner bark and needles processed to yield poultice to treat wounds and frostbite pitch chewed as a medicinal dried cones used in tanning of hides roots used to make baskets, and fish hooks made from knots. The wood was used for cabins, boat planks, fishnet floats and fiielwood. Though less effective than spruce (Picea) pitch, pine pitch could also be used for caulking. 

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