rosins, which contains resin acids (mainly abietic acid and its isomers), fatty acids (mainly palmitic acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid) and fatty alcohols, unsaponifiable sterols (5–10%), some sterols, and other alkyl hydrocarbon derivates. By fractional distillation tall oil rosin is obtained, with rosin content reduced to 10–35%. By further reduction of the rosin content to 1–10%, tall oil fatty acid (TOFA) can be obtained, which is cheap, consists mostly of oleic acid, and is a source of volatile fatty acids. Applications The tall oil rosin finds use as a component of adhesives, rubbers, and inks, and as an emulsifier. The pitch is used as a binder in cement, an adhesive, and an emulsifier for asphalt. TOFA is a low-cost and vegetarian lifestyle-friendly alternative to tallow fatty acids for production of soaps and lubricants. When esterified with pentaerythritol, it is used as a compound of adhesives and oil-based varnishes. When reacted with amines, polyamidoamines are produced which may be used as epoxy resin curing agents. References Papermaking Renewable resources Vegetable oils Fatty acids