What is a simple lab experiment to confirm the presence of turpentine?

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To verify if the collected substance is turpentine, a laboratory experiment should focus on analyzing its chemical composition, as turpentine is a complex mixture rather than a single compound. Key properties to examine include the presence of alpha-pinene, which constitutes 70 to 80% of turpentine oil. Techniques such as gas chromatography could be employed to identify and quantify the components. Additionally, transforming alpha-pinene into terpineol, which has a distinct lilac odor, could serve as an indirect confirmation of the presence of turpentine. Understanding the classification criteria for turpentine may also aid in the verification process.
mishima
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Hi, after boiling some pine needles in about 200mL water and using a distillation device I believe, but can't be sure, that some turpentine was collected. What might be a laboratory experiment that could verify that in fact the substance is turpentine?
 
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Check if those using turpentine don't have a definition what classifies as a turpentine. Turpentine is not a simple compound, rather a mixture, so there is no simple experiment, I expect some set of properties that have to be meet.
 
Turpentine oil contains mostly (70 to 80%) alpha-pinene. It is relatively easy to transform it into terpineol which has a nice lilac odor.
 

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