Camphor is a waxy, flammable, white or transparent solid with a strong aroma. It is a terpenoid with the chemical formula C10H16O. It is found in the wood of the camphor laurel (Cinnamomumcamphora), a large evergreen tree found in Asia and also of the unrelated kapur tree, a tall timber tree from the same region. This port traded in camphor extracted from laurel trees (Cinnamonum camphora) that were abundant in the region. Even now, the local tribespeople and Indonesians in general refer to aromatic naphthalene balls and moth balls as kapur Barus.
Camphor can be produced from alpha-pinene, which is abundant in the oils of coniferous trees and can be distilled from turpentine produced as a side product of chemical pulping. With acetic acid as the solvent and with catalysis by a strong acid, alpha-pinene readily rearranges into camphene, which in turn undergoes Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement into the isobornylcation, which is captured by acetate to give isobornyl acetate.
The global market for synthetic camphor is estimated to be valued at US$ 322.3 Mn by the end of 2018 and is expected to reach a market value of US$ 571.6 Mn by the end of 2028, expanding at a CAGR of 5.9% over the forecast period. The global market is anticipated to represent incremental opportunity worth US$ 249.3 Mn between 2018 and 2028. Synthetic camphor is used in production of insecticides such as moth repellants and mosquito repellants. With the rising awareness around the air purifying properties of synthetic camphor, the demand for synthetic camphor powder has seen an upsurge from the downstream producers of synthetic camphor tablets.
Synthetic camphor is conventionally prepared from the extracts of the camphor tree. While the one produced using chemical synthesis is known as synthetic camphor. One of the most important raw material employed in the manufacturing of synthetic camphor is turpentine oil. Synthetic camphor involves two grades of products solely differentiated in the terms of its purity.
Few Indian major players are as under:
· Camphor & Allied Products Ltd.
· KanchiKarpooram Ltd.
· Mangalam Organics Ltd.
· Oriental Aromatics Ltd.
· Oriental Aromatics Ltd.
· Saptagir Camphor Pvt. Ltd.
· Vinayak Ingredients (India) Pvt. Ltd.