Shellac is contrary to popular belief not made out of a bugs shell. It is a resin uses by the female lac bug, Kerria lacca to create a cocoon. Therefor it is a renewable recourse. It is harvested from the three branches and crushed in preparation for further manufacturing processes.
Uses
- Shellac is a bioadhesive polymer that can be moulded under heat and pressure and shows durability and hardness. This is why Shellac is used as an ingredient in furniture polishes and primers.
- It is also used to coat pills and candy.
- Traditional fabrics in Thailand and India where also dyed with shellac as it varies in color from light yellow over brown to red.
Potential Uses
- It can be used to stiffen materials like felt. Maybe there is another practical use for this property.
- Could Shellac be 3D Printed?
Processes
- Insect lac comes the resin excreted by insects on branches.
Image of shellac bug, courtesy of www.industyofallnations.com The branches are harvested and crushed to obtain shellac. Crushing can be done using machines or good old pounding between stones. The resulting particulates are then washed in a soda-ash solution, dried and then heat-treated to extract a purer lac. For more comprehensive information on the process see this source.
More Information
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shellac#Uses
- https://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infpai/shellac.html
- http://antiquerestorers.com/Articles/jeff/shellac.htm
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