Uses
Damar is used in foods, as a clouding or glazing agent, and in incense, varnish, and other products. Dammar varnish, made from dammar gum mixed with turpentine, was introduced as a picture varnish in 1826. is commonly used in oil painting, both during the painting process and after the painting is finished.
Dammar crystals are also dissolved in molten paraffin wax to make batik to avoid the wax from cracking when its drawn onto silk or rayon.
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 stone or pebble-shaped, opaque damar collected from the ground.
Read more about this topic: Dammar Gum