{{short description|Tree resin obtained from the family Dipterocarpaceae}} thumb|Dammar resin

'''Dammar gum''', also called '''damar gum''', '''dammar resin''', or just '''dammar''', is a resin obtained from the tree family Dipterocarpaceae in India and Southeast Asia, principally those of the genera ''Shorea'' or ''Hopea'' (synonym ''Balanocarpus''). The resin of some species of ''Canarium'' may also be called dammar. Most is produced by tapping trees; however, some is collected in fossilised form on the ground. The resin varies in colour from clear to pale yellow, while the fossilised form is grey-brown. Dammar gum is a triterpenoid resin, containing many triterpenes and their oxidation products. Many of them are low molecular weight compounds (dammarane, dammarenolic acid, oleanane, oleanonic acid, etc.), which easily oxidizes and photoxidizes.<ref>Scalarone, D.; Duursma, M.C.; Boon, J.J.; Chiantoire, O. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry on cellulosic surfaces of fresh and photo-aged di- and triterpenoid varnish resins. ''J. Mass. Spec''. '''2005''', ''40'', 1527-1535. {{doi|10.1002/jms.893}}</ref>

== Types == * ''Damar mata kucing'' ('cat's eye damar') is a crystalline resin, usually in the form of round balls. ''Shorea javanica'' is an important source in Indonesia.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}} * ''Damar batu'' ('stone damar') is stone or pebble-shaped, opaque dammar collected from the ground.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}} * ''Damar hitam'' ('black damar')

==Uses== *''Dammar varnish'', made from dammar gum dissolved in turpentine, was introduced as a picture varnish in 1826;<ref>{{cite book |title=Varnishes, lacquers, printing inks and sealing-waxes: their raw materials and their manufacture |author=William Theodore Brannt |publisher=H.C. Baird & Co. |year=1893 |page=168 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JMPvAAAAMAAJ&dq=dammar%20varnish&pg=PA168}}</ref> commonly used in oil painting, both during the painting process and after the painting is finished.<ref>{{cite book |author=Mayer, Ralph |title=The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques |publisher=Viking Adult |edition=5th |year=1991 |isbn=0-670-83701-6 |title-link=The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques}}</ref> Dammar varnish and similar resin varnishes auto-oxidize and yellow over a relatively short time regardless of storage method; this effect is more pronounced on paintings stored in darkness than with works on display in light due to the bleaching effects of sunlight on the colorants involved.<ref name=Dietemann>{{cite journal |last1=Dietemann |first1=Patrick |last2=Higgitt |first2=Catherine |last3=Kälin |first3=Moritz |last4=Edelmann |first4=Michael J. |last5=Knochenmuss |first5=Richard |last6=Zenobi |first6=Renato |title=Aging and yellowing of triterpenoid resin varnishes – Influence of aging conditions and resin composition |journal=Journal of Cultural Heritage |date=January 2009 |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=30–40 |doi=10.1016/j.culher.2008.04.007}}</ref> *Batik is made from dammar crystals dissolved in molten paraffin wax, to prevent the wax from cracking when it is drawn onto silk or rayon.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}} *Encaustic paints are made from dammar crystals in beeswax with pigment added. The dammar crystals serve as a hardening agent.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/artistshandbooko00maye_0|title=The artist's handbook of materials and techniques|last=Mayer|first=Ralph|last2=Sheehan|first2=Steven|isbn=0670837016|edition=Fifth, revised and updated|location=New York|oclc=22178945|url-access=registration|year=1991}}</ref> *As caulk for ships in the past, frequently with pitch or bitumen.<ref>Burger, P.; Charrié-Duhaut, A.; Connan, J.; Flecker, M.J.; Albrecht, P. Archaeological resinous samples from Asian wrecks: Taxonomic characterization by GC–MS. ''Analytica Chimica Acta''. '''2009''', ''648'', 85-97. {{doi|10.1016/j.aca.2009.06.022}}</ref> *As a common mounting material along with canada balsam for preparing biological samples for light microscopy.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=December 1911|title=The microscope. Simon Henry Gage. Comstock Publishing Company, Ithaca, Philadelphia|journal=The Anatomical Record|volume=5|issue=12|pages=562|doi=10.1002/ar.1090051205|issn=0003-276X}}</ref> *Used in Ayurvedic medicine for various conditions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=MD(Ayu) |first=Dr J. V. Hebbar |date=2015-04-24 |title=Sarja - Vateria indica Uses, Dose, Research, Side Effects |url=https://www.easyayurveda.com/2015/04/24/sarja-vateria-indica-uses-dose-research-side-effects/ |access-date=2022-08-11 |website=Easy Ayurveda |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Constituent compounds== Fresh dammar gum consists of a mixture of compounds; primarily hydroxydammarenone, dammarenolic acid, and oleanonic aldehyde.<ref name=Dietemann />

==Material safety==

===Physical data=== * Appearance: white powder * Melting point: around 120&nbsp;°C * Density: 1.04 to 1.12 g/ml * Refractive index: around 1.5 * CAS number: 9000-16-2 * EINECS: 232-528-4 * Harmonised Tariff: 1301-90

===Stability and toxicity=== The resin is stable{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}}, probably combustible and incompatible with strong oxidising agents. Its toxicity is low, but inhalation of dust may cause allergies. <!--Is it an organic compound? Is it or is it not combustible? -->

==See also== * Agathis (Araucariaceae), synonym Dammara * ''Canarium strictum'' (Burseraceae), source of black dammar in South Asia * Kauri gum, from ''Agathis australis'' * ''Shorea hypochra'' (Dipterocarpaceae), source of dammar temak * ''Shorea robusta'' (Dipterocarpaceae), source of sal dammar * ''Vateria indica'' (Dipterocarpaceae), source of white dammar in South Asia

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== * {{Cite news |last=Simon |first=Julia |date=19 October 2019 |title=Could This Tree Be an Eco-Friendly Way to Wean Indonesian Farmers Off Palm Oil? |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/10/19/771410815/could-this-tree-be-an-eco-friendly-way-to-wean-indonesian-farmers-off-palm-oil |work=All Things Considered |publisher=NPR |access-date=20 October 2019}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dammar Gum}} Category:Incense material Category:Painting materials Category:Resins