Abstract: It was reviewed according to the home and aboard literatures on the isomerization of main terpenes in turpentine, which are α-pinene, β-pinene and 3-carene. All these terpenes could be transformed by thermal energy or catalysis, especially the combined effect by both factors. They could give a complicated product which consisted of limonene, camphene, myrcene and p-cymene and so on. They would be used as materials or intermediates for further applications.

Key words: turpentine, α-pinene, β-pinene, 3-carene, isomerization