Some Interesting Facts About Shellac You Must Know

Posted by Sunita Sinha on March 8th, 2019

In today’s market, shellac is known to have a rising demand amongst shellac traders across the globe. Shellac is a natural resin that comes in the form of dry flakes. The term ’shellac’ is derived from the word ‘shell’ and ‘lac’ which means lac in thin pieces. Lac is a resinous secretion of female lac bugs, called Lacciferlacca. This tiny lac insects deposits lac on the twigs and branches of certain trees like soapberry and acacia trees, particularly found in India and Thailand. The lac produced is collected, washed and refined to produce the finished product for sale commonlyknown as “Shellac”.

Shellac can be found in many varieties and in different colors. It has a lot of interesting features which differentiates it from the rest.

Advantages

• Can be dissolved in any alcohol-based solvent.
• Easy to apply as it can be brushed or sprayed on.
• Dries quickly.
• Non-toxic and has no fumes.
• FDA approved and food safe, when used with the correct solvent.
• Superior quality of adhesion due to its wax content.
• Easy to repair by re-applying shellac to the damaged portions.
• Works excellent as a primer coat for sealing and can be applied over other finishes.
• Non-yellowing even when it ages, unlike varnish.
• Provides an excellent hard finish.
• Can be applied even in cold temperatures.

Disadvantages

Though shellac has many advantages when compared to other finishes, however, it has certain limitations too.

• Limited shelf-life, approximately six months, once mixed with alcohol.
• White rings are formed if contacted with water.
• Can be damaged by alcohol.
• Heat-sensitive.

Uses of Shellac

Owing to its excellent properties, shellac is used for a wide range of applications in different industries such as furniture, food, drug, cosmetics, paint etc. Because of its compatible nature, shellac traders prefer it for finishing of woodworks and musical instruments. Some of the major uses of shellac are listed as below:

• Polish and Paints (for finishings)
• Light bulbs and Cement (as an adhesive)
• Medicine pills(as a protective coating)
• Confectionaries (as glaze)
• Fabrics (as a dye)
• Bicycles (as a protective coating)
• Printing ink (as a binder)
• Waterproof or colored ink
• Dental Industry (for rims and trays)
• Cosmetic Industry (in nail polishes)
• Electrical Industry (as an insulator)
• Fireworks
• Boatbuilding
• Watchmaking and many more

Shellac is used in almost a large number of industries for various purposes.It is considered to be a good choice for businesses worldwide. India has a major contribution in the production of shellac globally. Lac is cultivated mainly in the areas of West Bengal, Assam, Orissa, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. In West Bengal, there are over 115 processing units in the five districts of Purulia, Midnapur, Bankura, Murshidabad and Malda.

Where to get it?

Jamunadas International is a leading producer and exporter of high quality shellac in the global market. With its presence in Kolkata, West Bengal, Jamunadas Internationalhas been in the industry since ten years. The company is known as one of the renowned shellac traders internationally.