What does copal smell like?

Genus: Agathis, Araucariaceae family. Country of origin: Philippines, Indonesia. Method of obtaining: tapping evergreen gymnosperm trees Agatis dammara (Lamb.) Rich., syn. Agatis alba Rumph. ex Jeffrey. Characteristics: Copal in sintered pieces (Agathis dammara Resina) is a hand-picked, air-dried resin produced by the evergreen tropical tree Agatis dammara (Lamb.) Rich. of the Araucariaceae family when it is wounded (tapping method). The general names of the resins “copal” and “dammar” are collective names that designate many types of resins obtained from various types of trees growing in different countries. Even in the reference literature, there is a discrepancy in the assignment of some resins to one group or another, for example, the resin of agathis dammar is classified either as copal or dammar. The roots of this discrepancy stretch back to the times when the term “damar” was used as a name for all natural resins and in a general sense meant tree resin (the term “copal” became widespread much later, after the Spanish Conquest, and was used to mean “incense”). Thus, the words dammar and copal were given a common meaning and are still often used indiscriminately to describe various types of resins. However, the international English trade name for Agatis dammara resin is Gum copal, and the German one is Manila copal. The German name is due to the fact that since ancient times the main supplies of this type of resin came from Manila (Philippines). Nowadays, Manila copal is also called the resin obtained by tapping trees growing on other islands of the Malay Archipelago, in particular, on the Sunda and Moluccas islands. At some point, the name “Manila copal” also became a collective name, referring to all East Indian varieties of copal. In addition, some fossil resins, like amber, extracted from the earth, are also classified as copals. In this case, correlation with the species of trees that formed this resin is sometimes generally difficult due to the absence of this type of tree in the places where the resin is located. In this regard, a large number of types of copal are presented on the wholesale market, differing in density, melting point, aroma, taste, price and country of origin. The best varieties of Manila copal resin are fragrant, have the appearance of yellowish-whitish pieces, with reddish areas, or dark, with possible inclusion of bark particles in the resin. There are hard and soft copal. Manila copal is one of the most popular species, which determines its sales volumes and allows us to keep the market price for this resin relatively low. The resin of Manila copal has a yellowish-whitish or yellowish-reddish color, has a pleasant balsamic aroma, a slightly pronounced spicy taste, crumbles when chewed, and does not stick to the teeth. The melting point is 103 ºС, when burned on coal it melts and abundantly emits white aromatic smoke with a sweetish, lemon-candy note. Unlike gum resins, Manila copal leaves virtually no ash residue. Even a small piece of resin, when burned, can fill the entire room with fragrant white smoke. Fresh soft resin dissolves well in 95% alcohol; during long-term storage, the resin becomes hard, and its ability to dissolve in alcohol decreases. Does not dissolve in water. Not all types of copal resin are equally soluble in chloral hydrate, which makes it possible to use this feature to determine the family of the plant that produced a particular type of copal, as well as its country of origin. Copal resins are harder than dammar resins and are less soluble in ethanol. The resin contains: free resin acids (up to 85%), resins (4%), essential oil (0,57-6%), water, bitterness, pigments, etc. (up to 2%). Impurities insoluble in alcohol are no more than 13%. Ash content no more than 0,55%. Action: antidepressant, antiseptic, aphrodisiac, deodorizing, bactericidal. Manila copal, like white dammar, is a traditional incense resin mined in the Philippines and used as an incense substitute in the local Catholic Church. Burning copal and dammar resin on coals is practiced for depressive states and experiences associated with the loss of a loved one. The candy-lemon aroma of copal has a calming effect. The sour-sweet smell of slowly burning incense resins of Manila copal and dammar are well suited for meditation and as a background accompaniment to various psychological practices. These resins are convenient to use, since they burn almost completely and their small ash residue does not affect the quality of the aroma compared to gum resins, such as frankincense and myrrh. In the magical subculture, it is believed that the effect of Manila copal and dammar is similar to incense – they cleanse and protect. For example, Aztec children always wore a small piece of copal on their bodies to resist disease and evil (the term “copal” became famous in the world thanks to the Spanish language, but it was borrowed from the Aztecs). The aroma of copal is believed to clear the mind and help with concentration. There are many recipes for making incense using copal resin; for example, for meditation in nature, it is recommended to grind and thoroughly mix 2 parts of manila copal with 1 part of crushed cinnamon bark (Cinnamomum cassia). The mixture is sprinkled in small portions onto charcoal. To clean and scent your home, it is recommended to mix 2 parts copal resin, 2 parts dammar resin, 1 part hyssop herb and 1 part rosemary leaves. The mixture is crushed, stirred and moistened with a few drops of rosemary essential oil. The moistened aromatic mixture is rolled into small balls, which can either be burned on coal, or placed in various places that are difficult for children and animals to reach, or in the wardrobe. In industry, Manila copal resin is used in the production of varnish coatings (for wood and labels), linoleum, glue, sealants, etc. In gardening, copal-based adhesives are used to make adhesives for caterpillars and sticky mosquito traps. Varnish for artistic works is a 30% solution of copal in turpentine. Used for diluting artistic oil paints and for coating finished works of painting. Traditional recipe for Indonesian varnish recommended for processing bone and wood products: Manila copal 30 parts, Venetian turpentine (larch resin can be replaced with fir balsam) 4-5 parts, alcohol (95%) 30 parts. The ability of free resin acids of Manila copal to dissolve with moderate heating in oleic, palmitic and linoleic fatty acids contained, for example, in linseed oil, makes it possible to produce durable natural oil varnishes suitable for wood processing, without the large loss of resin inevitable with stronger its heating. Oil varnish, obtained by mixing Manila copal, linseed oil and alcohol, when applied in two layers to wood, retains its characteristic shine for more than a year, even when it is in the open air and exposed to atmospheric moisture. Manila copal resin (Alfacopal) is part of surgical glue. In the Philippines, agathis resin has long been used in the production of inexpensive soaps to increase their foaming properties, as well as in the production of paper. The essential oil extracted by distillation of the leaves of Agatis dammara (Lamb.) Rich. contains 19 components, the main ones being: d-limonene (36,81%), β-bisabolene (33,43%) and β-myrcene (25,48). %). Agathis essential oil has a pronounced bactericidal effect against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The essential oil found in copal resin also includes d-limonene, which gives the aroma of the essential oil, as well as the burning resin, a citrusy note. The essential oil is extracted from copal resin pre-treated with alkali using steam distillation. The yield of essential oil ranges from 1,3 to 11,2%. Without neutralizing resin acids with alkali, extracting essential oil from resin by steam distillation is very difficult, its yield is extremely low. Obtained by steam distillation, the essential oil of white agathis resin (Agatis alba) has a yellow color and density d15/4 – 0,865, refractive index n30/D – 1,4648, rotation angle of the light polarization plane α20/D – 26,55º. The main components of the essential oil are: α-pinene, β-pinene, d-limonene, terpineol, iso-borneol, camphene, furfural, methyl chavicol, formic and acetic acids, as well as their aldehydes (formaldehyde, acetyl formaldehyde) and ketones (acetone ). In the essential oil obtained by dry distillation of Manila copal resin with a yield of 6%, the main component is α-pinene. Falsification. The abundance of resins called copal and dammar allows, instead of more expensive varieties of resins, to sell cheaper and less interesting in terms of aroma quality, without specifying the botanical name of the tree – the source of the resin. But more often, copal itself is used to falsify another more expensive fossil resin – amber. Copal, which has a lower market price, is used as an imitation of amber; there are often cases when, after appropriate processing, copal is passed off as amber. It is relatively easy to distinguish a fake – just apply a drop of essential oil to the surface of the copal, and it will soften; the essential oil will not leave any traces on the amber. Methods of application: burning on coal (fumigation, smoking). To aromatize a room (fumigation), you should light a tablet of charcoal for smoking incense and place a piece of resin on the smoldering charcoal. To do this, take a deep plate, pour river sand into it so that it covers the bottom of the plate with a layer of at least 2 cm. Place a charcoal tablet on the sand in the center of the plate and set it on fire. Instead of sand, you can use a mesh stand. Attention! The coal has a special impregnation for quick ignition. Because of this, when the coal is ignited, sparks may form and smoke may be released. When the coal begins to smolder, there will be no sparks or smoke, and it will be difficult to determine the temperature of the coal by eye. Do not touch smoldering coal with unprotected hands – you may get burned. After the end of the session, extinguish the coal by lowering it into water. Combines with benzoin, dammar, frankincense, myrrh, and elemi resins. Contraindications: individual intolerance. If you have lung diseases, you should consult with your doctor about the admissibility of using the resin fumigation method. There are known cases of contact dermatitis due to surgical glue and medical adhesive patches containing Manila copal. Store in a dry, cool and dark place. Copal is a pale white to yellow colored resin. When smoldering over charcoal it produces a rich, delicious, pine-lemon aroma. Copal resin is a ritual incense used as incense in many cultures.