Have you ever wondered how your favorite fruit apple manages to shine and remain tight for an extended period? Or, how does your bitter medicinal pill have glazing outer cover?
The award goes to finest sealing was known as ‘Shellac.’
- Let’s get to the historical background:
If we take a peek into our history-book, we can find the earliest evidence of shellac around 3000 years ago. The shocking wonder comes to our mind when we come to know that Mahabharata depicted that dried shellac is the source material that built an entire palace.
Amazing! Isn’t it?
- A bite on the shellac formation:
Shellac is a resin that is secreted on the trees by the female lac bug. Thailand and India are the chief producers. Production of liquid shellac takes place after it is dissolved in ethanol.
- How does it get sold?
Shellac is first processed and then sold as dry flakes. In the 19th century, Shellac mightily replaced wax and oil finishes. It marked the footprint in the western countries as one of the ruling wood finishes. Then, in the 1920s and 1930s, nitrocellulose lacquer has replaced it.
- Spotlight on the natural progress of shellac usage:
The material was rarely used as dyestuff during the interruption of the East Indies in trade and commerce. The coating stuff was applied in the electrical application due to its excellent insulation qualities and moisture sealing nature. Again, gramophone records (978 rpm) and phonograph were made of shellac. Later, since 1950s long-playing vinyl records started substituting it.
- Unfolding the on-going multiple uses of Shellac:
- Liquid shellac acts as an excellent brush-on colorant, wood finish, and food gloss.
- Shellac is best utilized as a tough natural primer, tannin-blocker, sanding sealant, odor remover, high-gloss varnish, and staining.
- Sealing wax is a meaningful job of shellac.
- It is a mandatory necessity in the pharmaceutical industry due to its edibility. It glazes the confectionary sweets and pills.
- The acidic properties of shellac resist stomach acid. Hence, shellac coated tablets are given to the patients for the enteric or colonic release for some time.
- Shellac is compatible with most of the other finishes.
- The primer coat of wood is often shellac for putting a stop to the bleeding of pigments or resin into the eventual finish.
- It arrests the wood stains from getting blemished.
- Storage life of shellac:
Definitely long
Due to its prolonged shelf life, it is widely put into service as a ‘wax coating’ on the citrus fruits. The natural wax of the apple is replaced by it.
Don’t worry; you don’t have to consume it always as the cleaning of the fruits will remove the overlaying.
- The food additive E number of Shellac:
It’s E904.
Next time you treat your taste buds with the fresh glossy sweets and fruits or furnish your rooms with the polished and stainless vintage furniture, don’t forget the mighty benefaction of the super topping of shellac- the wonder coat.
