Copaiba

Copaiba
Copaifera langsdorfii in a park in São Paulo Brazil.

Copaiba is a stimulant oleoresin obtained from the trunk of several pinnate-leaved South American leguminous trees (genus Copaifera). The thick, transparent exudate varies in color from light gold to dark brown, depending on the ratio of resin to essential oil. Copaiba is used in making varnishes and lacquers.

The hydrocarbons in copaiba are terpenes, which are made by plants from isoprene, a "five-carbon-atom building block, so they always contain carbon atoms in multiples of five. Pinene is one of several useful 10-carbon terpenes. It is commonly known as turpentine. Heated up, terpenes break down into methanol (CH3OH) and other simple compounds useful for fuel and as raw materials in the chemical industry."[1]

Copaiba is also a common name for several species of trees of the legume family native to Tropical Africa and North and South America.

Uses

Copaiba is particularly interesting as a source of biodiesel, because of the high yield of 12,000 liters per ha. The resin is tapped from standing trees, with an individual tree yielding 40 liters per year.[2] [3]

Medicinally, copaiba has been used to treat stomach cancer and ulcers. It has demonstrated antifungal properties, among a wide variety of ascribed medicinal properties.[4]

Copaiba is also used as an artist material, especially in oil paint recipes and in ceramic decoration. Mineral painters use a medium made of copaiba, turpentine and lavender to mix with their minerals for adhesion to ceramic vessels before kiln firing. Copaiba makes a good medium for oils and helps with both adhesion and quality of shine.

References

  1. ^ Don Button. "Diesel Trees". Science Forum. http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF3/358.html. Retrieved 2006-10-14. 
  2. ^ "Farmer planning diesel tree biofuel". Sydney Morning Herald. 2006-09-19. http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Farmer-planning-diesel-tree-biofuel/2006/09/19/1158431695812.html. Retrieved 2006-10-14. 
  3. ^ "New fuel source from trees". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2007-04-24. http://www.abc.net.au/tropic/stories/s1905459.htm. Retrieved 2007-04-26. [dead link]
  4. ^ Duke, James A., (1982). Handbook of Energy Crops: Copaifera langsdorfii Desf.. From the Purdue Center for New Crops Web site.

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  • copaíba — s. f. 1. Substância oleosa que se extrai do copaibeiro e de outras leguminosas. 2. Copaibeiro …   Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa

  • copaiba — [kō pā′bə, kōpī′bə] n. [Sp & Port < Tupí cupaiba] 1. an aromatic resin obtained from certain South American trees (genus Copaifera) of the caesalpinia family: formerly used in medicine, now used in varnishes, etc. 2. any of these trees …   English World dictionary

  • copaiba — (Del port. copaiba.) ► sustantivo femenino 1 BOTÁNICA Copayero, árbol leguminoso. 2 BOTÁNICA Resina oleosa que producen ciertas especies de estos árboles. FRASEOLOGÍA copaiba africana BOTÁNICA Sustancia similar obtenida de una planta… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Copaiba — Le copaïba, ou copahu, est une oléorésine qui exsude naturellement du tronc de l arbre Copaifera officinalis après incision. Après distillation, on peut en faire une huile essentielle comparable à l essence de térébenthine. Composition Le copaïba …   Wikipédia en Français

  • copaiba — /koʊˈpaɪbə/ (say koh puybuh) noun 1. Also, copaiba oil. an oleoresin which collects in cavities within the tree trunk of various tropical (chiefly South American) trees of the genus Copaiba, and is used medicinally as a stimulant and diuretic,… …  

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