Neutrals in southern pine tall oil

Black‐liquor soap skimmings from commercial pulping of southern pine wood contained 4.8% neutrals by wt. The neutrals were quantitatively analyzed and more than 80 compounds found. All of the compounds that comprised 0.1% or more of the neutrals were identified; these included 0.3% α‐terpineol, 2.5% diterpene hydrocarbons, 8.1% resin alcohols, 10.0% resin aldehydes, 0.5% resin acid methyl esters, 1.2% norditerpene alcohols, 16.8% labdane diterpenes, 2.1% other diterpenes, 32.4% steroids, 0.6% triterpenes, 0.7% polyprenols, 6.1% wax alcohols, 5.7% stilbenes, 4.4% lubricating oil, and 8.6% minor (<0.1%) constituents. Sitosterol, campesterol, stigmastanol, pinosylvin dimethyl ether, lignoceryl and ceryl alcohols, agathadiol, isoagatholal, communol, abietal, and diterpenes with the pimarane or isopimarane skeleton were the major components.