Pine tar - Nature's own wood protection

Pine tar has been used in Scandinavia for hundreds of years to protect and preserve wooden buildings, boats, jetties and everyday items. As well as protecting wooden structures against rot, natural tar is also mildly antiseptic. This characteristic means that pine tar is used in a number of different pharmaceutical and veterinary products for treating skin complaints. It is therefore a common ingredient in skin ointments, soap and shampoo, etc. For a long time pine tar was one of Sweden's most important export items.

A protective oil - direct from the forest

Pine tar is a viscous blackish-brown liquid consisting of volatile terpene oils, neutral oils, resin acids and fatty acids. It's the combination of these substances that allows mediaeval wooden buildings that have been regularly treated with pine tar to still stand today. The proportion of these constituents varies in different tar qualities, depending on the type of wood, its age and the part of the tree used. Historically, resin-rich pine stumps have always been considered to give the best pine tar, as resin contains substances that protect the living tree from rot, insect infestation and so on. Since it has become harder to get hold of stumps, tree trunks and branches are now used to a greater extent.

Aromatic and easily soluble

Pine tar is transparent in thin layers and has a natural aromatic scent. It's pretty much fully soluble in alcohol and turpentine, as well as almost completely compatible with fatty oils. Depending on the species of pine used for production, the pine tar takes on a different scent and colour. Auson's pine tars are normally obtained as a by-product of dry distillation of wood when manufacturing charcoal.

NB! Remember that tar made from resin-free deciduous trees does not contain resin or terpenes and is therefore not suitable for treating wood. This tar often has a high content of pitch, which blocks the pores of the wood and leads to a risk of rot. So it's good to know that Auson does not sell tar made from deciduous trees.

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