Tung oil, as a traditional Chinese medicine, has the effects of expectorating phlegm, clearing heat and detoxifying, dampness-killing and insect-killing, and moisturizing and promoting skin regeneration. Let's take a look at the efficacy and function of tung oil and its botanical characteristics.
【Efficacy and Function of Tung Oil】
1. Medicinal value of tung oil
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that tung oil has the effects of expectorating phlegm, clearing heat and detoxifying, dampness-killing and insect-killing, and moisturizing and promoting skin regeneration. It is used to treat throat inflammation, boils, scabies, abscesses, burns, frostbite, and chapped skin.
Tung oil is originally produced in China and is traditionally used to protect wooden objects, make oilcloth, oil paper, and other waterproof materials, and mix oil paste to fill gaps. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is used to blend ointments and other external medicines.
Tung oil is an excellent drying vegetable oil with characteristics such as fast drying, light weight, good glossiness, strong adhesion, heat resistance, acid resistance, alkali resistance, preservation, rust prevention, and non-conductivity. It has a wide range of applications.
Tung oil can be used to make oilcloth, oil paper, soap, pesticides, emetics for medical use, insecticides, etc.
【Botanical Characteristics of Tung Oil】
Tung tree is a deciduous tree that can grow up to 10 meters tall. The bark is gray and nearly smooth. The branches are stout, hairless, with obvious lenticels. The leaves of the tung tree are oval, 8-18 cm long and 6-15 cm wide;
The apex is short and pointed, the base is truncate to shallowly cordate, with entire margins, rarely 1-3 shallowly lobed, the young leaves are covered with quickly shedding soft hairs on the upper surface, and brownish hairs that gradually shed on the lower surface;
The mature leaves are dark green on the upper surface, hairless, and grayish green on the lower surface, with appressed soft hairs; the palmate veins are 5 (～7); the petioles of the tung tree are almost equal in length to the leaf blades, nearly hairless, with 2 flattened, sessile glands at the apex.
2. Utilization value of tung oil
Tung oil is obtained from the seeds of tung tree in the Euphorbiaceae family. It oxidizes in the air and undergoes polymerization reaction to form a dense lacquer film.
Tung oil is an industrial plant oil made from mechanically pressing and processing harvested tung tree fruits, and the whole process is a physical method.
Tung oil is a natural vegetable oil and a major raw material for manufacturing paints and inks. It is widely used as waterproof, preservative, and rustproof coatings for construction, machinery, weapons, vehicles, fishing gear, and electrical appliances.
It is also used in modern times for making wood paints, inks, and synthetic resins. Tung oil has good waterproof properties and is widely used in construction, paint, printing (ink), agricultural machinery, electronics, and other industries.
