Tall Oil Pitch (TOP)

Brief Overview

Tall Oil Pitch (Resin) is a viscous black liquid obtained from Tall Oil. It has lower boiling point, alcohol, ester and palmitic acid contents. Tall oil is produced from coniferous trees and has a variety of uses. It is obtained as a co-product of the kraft wood pulping process used by paper mills and it is the third largest chemical by-product of kraft mill.

Manufacturing Process

Tall Oil is extracted from pulp and paper mills when pulping mainly coniferous trees. The yellow-black odorous liquid produced is concentrated and left to settle. When sulfuric acid and heat are added to the material, it becomes crude tall oil. The crude tall oil is then distilled to obtain tall oil pitch.

Additives Industry

Tall oil pitch is commonly used as an emulsifier of asphalt and as a binder of cement and adhesive. It is also used to enhance the adhesion of rubber to metal cords, applied to surfaces to inhibit corrosion, and also used in the drilling mud for drilling operations.

Other applications

It can also be used as a biofuel to provide clean renewable energy, as a softening agent in rubber goods or flotation agent for the mining industry.