Birch-tar or birch-pitch is a liquid derived from the dry distillation of the wood of the birch. It is therefore pyroligneous.
Birch-tar was first used widely as an adhesive in the late Paleolithic or early Mesolithic era. It has also been used as a disinfectant, in leather dressing, and in medicine.
It is compounded of guaiacol, phenols, cresol, xylenol, and creosol.
Category:Chemistry {{chemistry-stub}}
April 17, 1968