Dammar gum is obtained from the Dipterocarpaceae family of trees in India and East Asia, principally those of the genera Shorea, Balanocarpus, or Hopea. Most is produced by tapping trees, however some is collected in fossilized form from the ground. The gum varies in colour from clear to pale yellow, while the fossilized form is grey-brown. A number of different things are called gum: gums the soft tissue partly covering teeth Chewing gum Bubblegum Guar gum Gum arabic Postage stamp gum Gum Springs, Arkansas, a town Trees: Gum tree (Eucalyptus; Australia and cultivated in other warm areas) Black gum (Tupelo, Nyssa; eastern North America) Sweet-gum... Genera Anisoptera Cotylelobium Dipterocarpus Dryobalanops Hopea Marquesia Monotes Neobalanocarpus Pakaraimaea Parashorea Shorea Stemonoporus Upuna Vateria Vateriopsis Vatica Dipterocarpaceae is a family of 17 genera and approximately 580-680 species of mainly tropical lowland rainforest trees with two-winged fruits. ... This article needs copyediting (checking for proper English spelling, grammar, usage, etc. ... See genus (mathematics) for the use of the term in mathematics. ... Species About 360 species, including: Shorea academia Shorea acuminata Shorea acuminatissima Shorea affinis Shorea agamii Shorea albida Shorea almon Shorea amplexicaulis Shorea aptera Shorea argentifolia Shorea assamica Shorea atrinervosa Shorea balangeran Shorea beccariana Shorea bracteolata Shorea brunnescens Shorea collina Shorea compressa Shorea congestiflora Shorea contorta Shorea cordifolia Shorea crassa Shorea... A fossil Ammonite Fossils are the mineralized remains of animals or plants or other traces such as footprints. ...

It is used in foods, as a either a coulding or a glazing agent, in the making of incense, varnishing and in other processes. Dammar was first introduced as a picture varnish in 1826. Incense is a preparation of aromatic plant matter, often with the addition of essential oils extracted from plant or animal sources, intended to release fragrant smoke for religious, therapeutic, or simply aesthetic purposes as it smolders. ... Varnish is a finish applied to wood or other surfaces in order to provide a clear, hard, durable, protective finish. ... 1826 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

The name is a Malay word meaning "resin" or "torch made from resin".

There are two further types of Damar, besides the gum:

• "Mata kucing" ("cat's eye") is a crystalline resin usually in the form of round balls.
• "Batu" ("stone") is the name given to the stone or pebble-shaped opaque damar collected from the ground.

A substance or object that is opaque is neither transparent nor translucent. ...

Material safety

Physical data

• Appearance: white powder
• Melting point: approx. 120 °C
• Density (kg per m³): 1.04-1.12
• Water solubility: negligible
• Refractive index: approx. 1.5

The melting point of a solid is the temperature at which it changes state from solid to liquid. ... The degree Celsius (°C or ℃ (Unicode 0x2103)) is a unit of temperature named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius (1701–1744), who first proposed a similar system in 1742. ... Density (symbol: ρ - Greek: rho) is a measure of mass per unit of volume. ... The international prototype, made of platinum-iridium, which is kept at the BIPM under conditions specified by the 1st CGPM in 1889. ... The cubic metre (symbol m³) is the SI derived unit of volume. ... The refractive index of a material is the factor by which the phase velocity of electromagnetic radiation is slowed relative to vacuum. ...

Stability

• Stable. Probably combustible. Incompatible with strong oxidizing agents.

Toxicity

Low toxicity, however inhalation of dust may cause allergies