naval stores, term initially applied to the cordage, mask, resin, tar, and timber used in building wooden sailing ships; it now designates the products obtained from the pine tree, e.g., pine oil, pitch, rosin, tar, and turpentine. These products fall into two classes, those obtained from living pines and those from dead pines. Most of the naval stores used in the world are produced in the SE United States and in S Europe. Naval stores are now used largely in the manufacture of soap, paint, varnish, shoe polish, lubricants, linoleum, and roofing material.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Organic Chemistry
