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shellac

File:Shellac.JPG · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

EntityQ429659· pop 51· linked from 582 articles

Also known as shellac varnish, shell-lacca

right|thumb|upright=1.4|Some of the many different colors of shellac thumb|right|Shellac in alcohol

Chemical data

Formula
C30H50O11
Molecular weight
586.7 g/mol
IUPAC name
(2R,6S,7R,10S)-10-hydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-6-methyltricyclo[5.3.1.01,5]undec-8-ene-2,8-dicarboxylic acid;9,10,15-trihydroxypentadecanoic acid
SMILES
C[C@]1([C@H]2CC3(C1CC[C@H]3C(=O)O)[C@H](C=C2C(=O)O)O)CO.C(CCCC(C(CCCCCO)O)O)CCCC(=O)O
InChIKey
ZLGIYFNHBLSMPS-ATJNOEHPSA-N
Polar surface area
213 Ų
H-bond donors
8
H-bond acceptors
11
Formal charge
0

via PubChem

~21 min read

Encyclopedic overview

14 sections
Contents
  • Etymology
  • Production
  • Colours and availability
  • Properties
  • History
  • Uses
  • Historical
  • Current uses
  • Wood finish
  • Other
  • Gallery
  • See also
  • References
  • External links

right|thumb|upright=1.4|Some of the many different colors of shellac thumb|right|Shellac in alcohol

Shellac () is a resin secreted by the female lac bug on trees in the forests of India and Thailand. Chemically, it is mainly composed of aleuritic acid, jalaric acid, shellolic acid, and other natural waxes. It is processed and sold as dry flakes and dissolved in alcohol to make liquid shellac, which is used as a brush-on colorant, food glaze and wood finish. Shellac functions as a tough natural primer, sanding sealant, tannin-blocker, odor-blocker, stain, and high-gloss varnish. Shellac was once used in electrical applications as it is a good insulator and seals out moisture. Phonograph and 78 rpm gramophone records were made of shellac until it was replaced by vinyl.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “shellac” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (23)