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Lacquer

Lacquer box w ith inlaid mother of pearl peony decor,

Ming Dynasty, 16th century

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In a general sense, lacquer is a somewhat imprecise term for a clearor coloured wood finish that dries by solvent evaporation. It is alsooften a curing process as well that produces a hard, durable finish.This finish can be of any sheen level from ultra matte to high gloss,and it can be further polished as required. It is also used for "lacquerpaint", which typically denotes a paint that dries to a more thanusually hard and smooth surface.

The term lacquer originates from the Sanskrit word laksha (ल�)meaning "one hundred thousand", which was used for both the Lacinsect (because of their enormous number) and the scarlet resinoussecretion it produces that was used as wood finish in ancient India

and neighbouring areas.[1] In terms of modern products, lac-basedfinishes are referred to as shellac, while lacquer refers to otherpolymers dissolved in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such asnitrocellulose, and later acrylic compounds dissolved in lacquerthinner, a mixture of several solvents typically containing butyl acetateand xylene or toluene. While both lacquer and shellac are traditionalfinishes, lacquer is more durable than shellac.

In terms of the decorative arts, lacquerware refers to variety of techniques used to decorate wood, metal or othersurfaces, some involving carving into deep coatings of many layers of lacquer.

Contents

1 Etymology

2 Urushiol-based lacquers

3 Nitrocellulose lacquers

4 Acrylic lacquers

5 Water-based lacquers

6 Japanning

7 See also

8 References

Etymology

The archaic French word lacre "a kind of sealing wax", from Portuguese lacre, unexplained variant of lacca "resinous

substance", from Arabic lakk , from Persian lak , the verb lac meaning "to cover or coat with laqueur".[2] The root of theword is the Sanskrit word laksha (ल�) meaning "one hundred thousand", which was used for both the Lac insect(because of their enormous number) and the scarlet resinous secretion it produces that was used as wood finish in

ancient India and neighbouring areas.[1][3] Lac resin was once imported in sizeable quantity into Europe from India along

with Eastern woods.[4][5] The modern Hindustani word lakh (लाख, الکھ), meaning "hundred thousand," is also derived from

the same Sanskrit root-word.[1]

Urushiol-based lacquers

Urushiol-based lacquers differ from most others, being slow-drying, and set by oxidation and polymerization, rather thanby evaporation alone. In order for it to set properly it requires a humid and warm environment. The phenols oxidize andpolymerize under the action of an enzyme laccase, yielding a substrate that, upon proper evaporation of its water

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A Chinese six-pointed tray, red lacquer over

w ood, from the Song Dynasty (960–1279),

12th-13th century, Metropolitan Museum of

Art.

Ming Dynasty Chinese lacquerw are

container, dated 16th century.

Wooden lacquer-f inished w histles made in

Channapatna, Karnataka, India

content, is hard. These lacquers produce very hard, durable finishes that are both beautiful and very resistant to damageby water, acid, alkali or abrasion. The active ingredient of the resin is urushiol, a mixture of various phenols suspendedin water, plus a few proteins. The resin is derived from a tree indigenous toChina, species Toxicodendron vernicifluum, commonly known as the

Lacquer Tree.[6] The fresh resin from the T. vernicifluum trees causesurushiol-induced contact dermatitis and great care is required in its use. The

Chinese treated the allergic reaction with shell-fish.[citation needed] Lacquerskills became very highly developed in Asia, and many highly decoratedpieces were produced.

During the Shang Dynasty (ca. 1600–1046 BCE), the sophisticatedtechniques used in the lacquer process were first developed and it became a

highly artistic craft,[7] although various prehistoric lacquerwares have beenunearthed in China dating back to the Neolithic period and objects with

lacquer coating in Japan from the late Jōmon period.[7] The earliest extant

lacquer object, a red wooden bowl,[8] was unearthed at a Hemudu culture

(ca. 5000-4500 BCE) site in China.[9] By the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220

CE), many centres of lacquer production became firmly established.[7] Theknowledge of the Chinese methods of the lacquer process spread from Chinaduring the Han, Tang and Song dynasties, eventually it was introduced to

Korea, Japan, Southeast and South Asia.[10]

The process of lacquer application in India is different from that which is

followed in China and Japan.[citation needed] There are two types of lacquer:one obtained from the T. vernicifluum tree and the other from an insect. InIndia the insect lac was once used from which a red dye was first extracted,later what was left of the insect was a grease that was used for lacqueringobjects. Trade of lacquer objects travelled through various routes to theMiddle East. Known applications of lacquer in China included coffins, music

instruments, furniture, and various household items.[7] Lacquer mixed withpowdered cinnabar is used to produce the traditional red lacquerware fromChina.

The trees must be at least 10 years old before cutting to bleed the resin. Itsets by a process called "aqua-polymerization", absorbing oxygen to set;placing in a humid environment allows it to absorb more oxygen from theevaporation of the water.

Lacquer-yielding trees in Thailand, Vietnam, Burma and Taiwan, called Thitsi,are slightly different; they do not contain urushiol, but similar substancescalled "laccol" or "thitsiol". The end result is similar but softer than theChinese or Japanese lacquer. Unlike Japanese and Chinese Toxicodendronverniciflua resin, Burmese lacquer does not cause allergic reactions; it setsslower, and is painted by craftsmen's hands without using brushes.

Raw lacquer can be "coloured" by the addition of small amounts of ironoxides, giving red or black depending on the oxide. There is some evidencethat its use is even older than 8,000 years from archaeological digs in China.Later, pigments were added to make colours. It is used not only as a finish,but mixed with ground fired and unfired clays applied to a mould with layersof hemp cloth, it can produce objects without need for another core likewood. The process is called "kanshitsu" in Japan. Advanced decorativetechniques using additional materials such as gold and silver powders andflakes ("makie") were refined to very high standards in Japan also after having been introduced from China. In thelacquering of the Chinese musical instrument, the guqin, the lacquer is mixed with deer horn powder (or ceramicpowder) to give it more strength so it can stand up to the fingering.

There are more than four forms of urushiol which is written as thus:

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Lacquer mixed w ith w ater and turpentine,

ready for applying to surface.

A Chinese lacquer coff in decorated w ith

birds and dragons, from the State of Chu,

4th century BC.

R = (CH2)14CH3 or

R = (CH2)7CH=CH(CH2)5CH3 orR = (CH2)7CH=CHCH2CH=CH(CH2)2CH3 orR = (CH2)7CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH=CHCH3 orR = (CH2)7CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CH2 and others.

Nitrocellulose lacquers

Quick-drying solvent-based lacquers that contain nitrocellulose, a resinobtained from the nitration of cotton and other cellulostic materials, weredeveloped in the early 1920s, and extensively used in the automobileindustry for 30 years. Prior to their introduction, mass-produced automotivefinishes were limited in colour, with Japan Black being the fastest drying andthus most popular. General Motors Oakland automobile brand automobilewas the first (1923) to introduce one of the new fast drying nitrocelluouslacquers, a bright blue, produced by DuPont under their Duco tradename.

These lacquers are also used on wooden products, furniture primarily, and onmusical instruments and other objects. The nitrocellulose and other resinsand plasticizers are dissolved in the solvent, and each coat of lacquerdissolves some of the previous coat. These lacquers were a hugeimprovement over earlier automobile and furniture finishes, both in ease ofapplication and in colour retention. The preferred method of applying quick-drying lacquers is by spraying, and the development of nitrocelluloselacquers led to the first extensive use of spray guns. Nitrocellulose lacquersproduce a hard yet flexible, durable finish that can be polished to a highsheen. Drawbacks of these lacquers include the hazardous nature of thesolvent, which is flammable and toxic, and the hazards of nitrocellulose inthe manufacturing process. Lacquer grade of soluble nitrocellulose is closelyrelated to the more highly nitrated form which is used to make explosives. They become relatively non-toxic afterapproximately a month since at this point, the lacquer has evaporated most of the solvents used in its production.

Acrylic lacquers

Lacquers using acrylic resin, a synthetic polymer, were developed in the 1950s. Acrylic resin is colourless, transparentthermoplastic, obtained by the polymerization of derivatives of acrylic acid. Acrylic is also used in enamel paints, whichhave the advantage of not needing to be buffed to obtain a shine. Enamels, however, are slow drying. The advantage ofacrylic lacquer is its exceptionally fast drying time. The use of lacquers in automobile finishes was discontinued whentougher, more durable, weather- and chemical-resistant two-component polyurethane coatings were developed. Thesystem usually consists of a primer, colour coat and clear topcoat, commonly known as clear coat finishes.

Water-based lacquers

Due to health risks and environmental considerations involved in the use of solvent-based lacquers, much work has goneinto the development of water-based lacquers. Such lacquers are considerably less toxic and more environmentallyfriendly, and in many cases, produce acceptable results. More and more water-based coloured lacquers are replacingsolvent-based clear and coloured lacquers in underhood and interior applications in the automobile and other similar

industrial applications. Water based lacquers are used extensively in wood furniture finishing as well.[citation needed]

Japanning

Just as china is a common name for porcelain, japanning is an old name to describe the European technique to imitate

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Just as china is a common name for porcelain, japanning is an old name to describe the European technique to imitate

Asian lacquerware.[11] As Asian and Indian lacquer work became popular in England, France, the Netherlands, andSpain in the 17th century the Europeans developed imitations that were effectively a different technique of lacquering.The European technique, which is used on furniture and other objects, uses finishes that have a resin base similar toshellac. The technique, which became known as japanning, involves applying several coats of varnish which are eachheat-dried and polished. In the 18th century this type of lacquering gained a large popular following. Althoughtraditionally a pottery and wood coating, japanning was the popular (mostly black) coating of the accelerating metalwareindustry; and by the twentieth century the term was freely applied to coatings based on various varnishes and lacquersbesides the traditional shellac.

See also

Lacquerware

Varnish

Acetate disc

Lacquer painting

References

1. ̂a b c Franco Brunello (1973), The art of dyeing in the history of mankind (http://books.google.com/books?id=MI-

vbcXDdssC), AATCC, 1973, "... The word lacquer derives, in fact, from the Sanskrit 'Laksha' and has the same meaning

as the Hindi word 'Lakh' which signifies one-hundred thousand ... enormous number of those parasitical insects which

infest the plants Acacia catecu, Ficus and Butea frondosa ... great quantity of reddish colored resinous substance ... used

in ancient times in India and other parts of Asia ..."

2. ^ http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=lacquer

3. ^ Ulrich Meier-Westhues (2007-11), Polyurethanes: coatings, adhesives and sealants (http://books.google.com/books?

id=wzOkvpgxLLQC), Vincentz Network GmbH & Co KG, 2007, ISBN 978-3-87870-334-1, "... Shellac, a natural resin

secreted by the scaly lac insect, has been used in India for centuries as a decorative coating for surfaces. The word

lacquer in English is derived from the Sanskrit word laksha. which means one hundred thousand ..."

4. ^ Donald Frederick Lach, Edwin J. Van Kley (1994-02-04), Asia in the making of Europe, Volume 2, Book 1

(http://books.google.com/books?id=BOitAB1Q0QcC), University of Chicago Press, 1971, ISBN 978-0-226-46730-6, "...

Along with valuable woods from the East, the ancients imported lac, a resinous incrustation produced on certain trees by

the puncture of the lac insect. In India, lac was used as sealing wax, dye and varnish ... Sanskrit, laksha; Hindi, lakh;

Persian, lak; Latin, lacca. The Western word "lacquer" is derived from this term ..."

5. ^ Thomas Brock, Michael Groteklaes, Peter Mischke (2000), European coatings handbook

(http://books.google.com/books?id=mAPG4Hdm5ycC), Vincentz Network GmbH & Co KG, 2000, ISBN 978-3-87870-

559-8, "... The word "lacquer" itself stems from the term "Laksha", from the pre-Christian, sacred Indian language

Sanskrit, and originally referred to shellac, a resin produced by special insects ("lac insects") from the sap of an Indian

fig tree ..."

6. ^ Britannica Online Encyclopedia: Oriental lacquer (http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9057370/Oriental-lacquer)

7. ̂a b c d Webb, Marianne (2000). Lacquer: Technology and conservation. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 3.

ISBN 978-0-7506-4412-9.

8. ^ Stark, Miriam T. (2005). Archaeology of Asia. Malden, MA : Blackwell Pub. Page 30. ISBN 1-4051-0213-6.

9. ^ Wang, Zhongshu. (1982). Han Civilization. Translated by K.C. Chang and Collaborators. New Haven and London:

Yale University Press. Page 80. ISBN 0-300-02723-0.

10. ^ Institute of the History of Natural Sciences and Chinese Academy of Sciences, ed. (1983). Ancient China's technology

and science. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press. p. 211. ISBN 978-0-8351-1001-3.

11. ^ Niimura, Noriyasu; Miyakoshi, Tetsuo (2003) Characterization of Natural Resin Films and Identification of Ancient

Coating . J. Mass Spectrom. Soc. Jpn. 51, 440. JOI:JST.JSTAGE/massspec/51.439

(http://joi.jlc.jst.go.jp/JST.JSTAGE/massspec/51.439)

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Kimes, Beverly R., Editor. Clark, Henry A. (1996), The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805–1945, Kraus

Publications, ISBN 0-87341-428-4 p. 1050

Paolo Nanetti (2006), Coatings from A to Z, Vincentz Verlag, Hannover, ISBN 3-87870-173-X - A concise

compilation of technical terms. Attached is a register of all German terms with their corresponding English terms

and vice versa, in order to facilitate its use as a means for technical translation from one language to the other.

Webb, Marianne (2000), Lacquer: Technology and Conservation, Butterworth Heinemann, ISBN 0-7506-4412-5 —

A Comprehensive Guide to the Technology and Conservation of Asian and European Lacquer

Michiko, Suganuma. "Japanese lacquer" (http://lacquer.tafejapan.com).

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