To comply with Wikipedia's quality standards, this article is in need of reorganization. There is good information here, but it is poorly organized. Please discuss this issue on the talk page and help improve this article.

Blonde shellac

Shellac is the commercial resin marketed in the form of amber flakes, made from lac^[1], the secretion of the familiy of lac-producing insects, though most commonly from the cultivated Kerria lacca ^[2], found in the forests of Assam and Thailand. Shellac (sometimes referred to as Shellac of North America) is an American rock music group comprised of Steve Albini (guitar and vocals), Bob Weston (bass guitar and vocals) and Todd Trainer (drums and vocals). ... Lac is the scarlet resinous secretion of the insect Laccifer lacca. ... , Assam  ) (Assamese: অসম Ôxôm [É”xÉ”m]) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur, a suburb of the city Guwahati. ...

Origin

Once it was commonly believed that shellac was a resin obtained from the wings of an insect (order Hemiptera) found in India. In actuality, shellac is obtained from the secretion of the female insect, harvested from the bark of the trees where she deposits it to provide a sticky hold on the trunk. There is a risk that the harvesting process can scoop the insect up along with the secretion, leading to its death. The natural coloration of lac residue is greatly influenced by the sap consumed by the lac insect and the season of the harvest. Generally in the trade of seedlac there are two distinct colors: the orange Bysacki and the blonde Kushmi. Suborders Archaeorrhyncha Clypeorrhyncha Prosorrhyncha Sternorrhyncha Hemiptera is a large, cosmopolitan order of insects, comprising some 67,500 known species in three suborders. ...

When purified, the chemical takes the form of golden yellow/ golden brown flakes, this possibly providing the basis for the "Wing Source Story." Shellac is a natural polymer and is chemically similar to synthetic polymers, thus it is considered a natural plastic. It can be turned into a moulding compound when mixed with woodflour and moulded under heat and pressure methods, so it is classified as thermoplastic. But old mouldings tend to become thermoset, that is, they suffer chemical reactions over time and are no longer fusible. A polymer (from Greek: πολυ, polu, many; and μέρος, meros, part) is a substance composed of molecules with large molecular mass composed of repeating structural units, or monomers, connected by covalent chemical bonds. ... For other uses, see Plastic (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Plastic (disambiguation). ...

A decorative medal made in France in early 20th century moulded from shellac compound, the same used for phonograph records of the period.

Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ...

Properties

Shellac is soluble in alkaline solutions such as ammonia, sodium borate, sodium carbonate, and sodium hydroxide, and also in various organic solvents. When dissolved in alcohol, typically blends containing ethanol and methanol, shellac yields a coating of superior durability and hardness and is available in numerous grades. It is used in the traditional "French polish" method of finishing furniture, and fine viols and guitars. Shellac is also used as a finish for certain former Soviet Bloc small arms' wood stocks, such as the stock of the AK-47. Shellac refined for industrial purposes either retains its natural wax content or is refined wax-free by filtration. Orange shellac is bleached with sodium hypochlorite solution to form white shellac and also is produced in wax-containing and wax-free form. Because it is compatible with most other finishes, shellac is also used as a barrier or primer coat on wood to prevent the bleeding of resin or pigments into the final finish, or to prevent wood stain from blotching. Lightly tinted shellac preparations are also sold as paint primer. Shellac is best suited to this application because, although its durability against abrasives and many common solvents is not very good, it provides an excellent barrier against water vapor penetration. Shellac based primers are thus an effective sealant to control odors associated with fire damage. Solubility is a chemical property referring to the ability for a given substance, the solute, to dissolve in a solvent. ... The common (Arrhenius) definition of a base is a chemical compound that either donates hydroxide ions or absorbs hydrogen ions when dissolved in water. ... For other uses, see Ammonia (disambiguation). ... Borax, (Na2B4O7·10H2O, sodium borate or sodium tetraborate) is an important boron compound. ... Sodium carbonate (also known as washing soda or soda ash), Na2CO3, is a sodium salt of carbonic acid. ... Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), also known as lye, caustic soda and (incorrectly, according to IUPAC nomenclature)[1] sodium hydrate, is a caustic metallic base. ... A solvent is a liquid that dissolves a solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... French Polishing is a wood finishing technique (and not a substance, as commonly assumed) for wooden furniture that results in a very high gloss, deep colour and tough surface. ... Wood finishing refers to the process of embellishing and/or protecting the surface. ... Various sizes of viol, from Michael Praetorius Syntagma musicum (1618) Early Italian tenor viola da gamba, detail from the painting , by Raphael Sanzio, c. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... Avtomat Kalashnikova model 1947 g. ... Sodium hypochlorite is a chemical compound with the formula NaClO. Sodium hypochlorite solution, commonly known as bleach, is frequently used as a disinfectant and as a bleaching agent. ... For other uses, see Wood (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... In biology, pigment is any material resulting in color in plant or animal cells which is the result of selective absorption. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Primer is a preparatory coating put on materials before painting. ...

Historical introduction to the West

^[3]

Shellac was in rare use as a dyestuff for as long as there was a trade with the East Indies. Merrifield^[4] cites 1220 for the introduction of shellac as an artist's pigment in Spain. This isn't unreasonable, given that lapis lazuli as ultramarine pigment from Afghanistan was already being imported long before this. The Indies, on the display globe of the Field Museum, Chicago The Indies or East Indies (or East India) is a term used to describe lands of South and South-East Asia, occupying all of the former British India, the present Indian Union, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and... // The world in 1220 Middle Ages in Europe Fifth Crusade (1217-1221) Events Mongols first invade Abbasid caliphate - Bukhara and Samarkand taken End of the Kara-Khitan Khanate, destroyed by Genghis Khans Mongolian cavalry Dominican Order approved by Pope Honorius III Frederick II crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope... A block of lapis lazuli Lapis lazuli is one of the oldest of all gems, with a history of use stretching back 7,000 years. ... Natural ultramarine. ...

In areas where small caskets or reliquaries were decorated, then a significant number of them were protected with shellac, and from an early period. Painting was done with egg tempera over gesso. Shellac was also used as an adhesive and sealer over inlay work, such as ivory or abalone inlay. For the band Reliquary, click here. ... A 1367 tempera on wood by Niccolò Semitecolo. ... Gesso is the Italian word for chalk (akin to the Greek word gypsum), and is a powdered form of the mineral calcium carbonate used in art. ...

The use of overall paint or varnish decoration on large pieces of furniture was first popularised in Venice (then later throughout Italy). There are a number of 13th century references to painted or varnished cassone, often dowry cassone which were deliberately impressive as part of the dynastic shenanigans of marriage. The definition of varnish is not always clear, but it seems to have been a spirit varnish based on gum benjamin or mastic, both traded around the Mediterranean. At some time, shellac began to be used as well. An article from the Journal of the American Institute of Conservation describes the use of infrared spectroscopy to identify a shellac coating on a 16th century cassone.^[5] This is also the period in history where "varnisher" was identified as a distinct trade, separate from both carpenter and artist.> The cassone (large chest) was one of the trophy furnishings of rich merchants and aristocrats in Italian culture, from the late Middle Ages onward. ... Binomial name L. Mastic (Pistacia lentiscus) is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing to 3–4 m tall, mainly cultivated for its aromatic resin on the Greek island of Chios,[1]. It is native throughout the Mediterranean region, from Morocco and Iberia at the east through southern France and...

Another consumer of shellac is sealing wax. Woods' ‘The Nature and Treatment of Wax and Shellac Seals’^[6] discusses the various formulations, and the period when shellac started to be added to the previous beeswax recipes.

The "period of widespread introduction" would seem to be around 1550 to 1650, when it moves from being a rarity on highly decorated pieces to being a substance that's described in the standard texts of the day.

Products

Shellac was used from mid-19th century to produce small moulded goods like picture frames, boxes, toilet articles, jewellery, inkwells and even dental plates. Until the advent of Vinyl in 1938, phonograph records were pressed from shellac compounds. This use was common until the 1950s, and continued into the 1970s in some non-Western countries. Sheets of Braille were coated with shellac to help protect them from wear due to being read by hand. Shellac is used as a binder in Indian ink. Listen to this article ( info/dl) This audio file was created from a revision dated 2006-09-06, and may not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ... For other uses, see Wear (disambiguation). ... Indian ink (or India ink in American English) is a simple black ink once widely used for writing and printing, and now more commonly used for drawing, especially when inking comics. ...

Shellac is edible and it is used as a glazing agent on pills and candies. Because of its alkaline properties, shellac-coated pills may be used for a timed enteric or colonic release.^[7] It is also used to replace the natural wax of the apple, which is removed during the cleaning process.^[8] When used for this purpose, it has the food additive E number E904. This coating may not be considered as vegetarian as it may, and probably does, contain crushed insects. In the tablet manufacture trade, it is sometimes referred to as "beetlejuice" for this reason. In some cases, shellac is known to cause allergies on contact, resulting in skin irritations.^[9] Glazing agents, or polishing agents, are food additives providing shiny appeareance or protective coating to foods. ... This article is about the fruit. ... Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or improve its taste and appearance. ... For the mathematical constant see: E (mathematical constant). ... For animals adapted to eat primarily plants, sometimes referred to as vegetarian animals, see Herbivore. ...

Although advancement in plastics have rendered shellac obsolete as a moulding compound, it remains popular for a number of other uses. In dental technology, it is still occasionally used in the production of custom impression trays and (partial) denture production. It is used by many cyclists as a protective and decorative coating for their handlebar tape.^[10] Shellac is used as a hard-drying adhesive for tubular cycle tyres, particularly for track racing^[11][12] Orange shellac is also the preferred adhesive for reattaching ink sacs when restoring vintage fountain pens.^[13] The term plastics covers a range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic condensation or polymerization products that can be molded or extruded into objects or films or fibers. ... This article is about the dental profession. ... A cyclist is a person who engages in cycling whether as a sport or rides a bicycle for recreation or transportation. ... Drop handlebars on a racing bicycle allow the rider a variety of positions for aerodynamics and comfort. ... A fountain pen is a writing instrument, more specifically a pen, that contains a reservoir of water-based ink that is fed to a nib through a feed via a combination of gravity and capillary action. ...

For some applications a corn protein called zein is a competitive substitute. Zein is a class of prolamine protein found in maize. ...

See also

• Bakelite
• Pharmaceutical glaze

Bakelite is a material based on the thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin, polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride developed in 1907–1909 by Belgian-American Dr. Leo Baekeland. ... Pharmaceutical glaze is an alcohol solution of various types of Food Grade Shellac. ...

References

1. ^ Britannica Online Encyclopedia: Shellac
2. ^ Banglapedia: Lac Insect
3. ^ Andy Dingley (1 Apr 2004). "SCA period paints and pigments for furniture". rec.org.sca. (Web link).
4. ^ Merrifield, Mary (1849). Original Treatises on the Art of Painting. ISBN 0486404404. 
5. ^ "Furniture finish layer identification by infrared linear mapping microspectroscopy" (1992). JAIC (Journal of the American Institute of Conservation) 31 (2, Article 6): pp. 225 to 236. 
6. ^ Woods, C. (1994). "The Nature and Treatment of Wax and Shellac Seals". Journal of the Society of Archivists (15). 
7. ^ Shellac film coatings providing release at selected pH and method - US Patent 6620431
8. ^ US Apple: Consumers - FAQs: Apples and Wax
9. ^ Le Coz C-J., Leclere J-M., Arnoult E., Raison-Peyron N., Pons-Guiraud A., Vigan M., (2000). Allergic contact dermatitis from shellac in mascara. Contact Dermatitis 46(3), pp. 149-152(6)
10. ^ Out Your Backdoor: Shellac & Twine makes Handlebar fine
11. ^ mounting-tubulars Mounting Tubular Tires by Jobst Brandt
12. ^ British Cycling - Track Tips
13. ^ RichardsPens.com Fountain Pens by Richard Binder - Glossary - S

External links

Look up shellac in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Shellac Application Smith & Rodger
• DIYinfo.org's Shellac Wiki - Practical information on everything to do with shellac
• Reactive Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography of Shellac