Natural resin is obtained from plants. The best resin is obtained from the pine tree. This type of resin has a pungent smell. This material is very sticky and hardens after a period of time. A number of other plants also produce resin, and these substances have been used by humans for thousands of years. Some plants exude a similar substance called gum, which does not react with water and is softer and more flexible.
The color of natural resin can be changed from transparent to dark. The famous substance amber is obtained from natural resin. Pine resin has been used for sealing boats, embalming corpses, food containers and other purposes. Also, this type of resin is used in making varnish, polish, ink, perfume, jewelry and many other objects.
Synthetic resins are more stable, predictable and uniform than natural resins because they are made under controlled conditions and there is no possibility of impurity production. They are made by combining chemicals in the laboratory and the result of the reaction is the formation of sticky compounds. This material can be used in the production of plastic, paint and many similar materials instead of natural resin.