Chinese varnish

Natural binders Paraffin wax, beeswax, carnauba wax, Chinese wax, boiled linseed oil, lithographic varnish, shellac and gum arabic etc. 

Although there are many other kinds of insect waxes, only two are of economic importance namely, shellac wax and Chinese insect wax. Shellac wax is derived from the lac insect, a parasite that feeds on the sap of the lac tree indigenous to India. The commercial wax is not ordinarily the native Indian lac wax, but is a by-product recovered from the dewaxing of shellac spar varnishes. Lac wax melts at 72-80°C, whereas commercial shellac wax melts at 80-84.5°C. Its high melting point and dielectric properties favor its use in the electrical industry for insulation. Chinese insect wax is the product of the scale insect. 

Some time before 200 B.c., the Chinese used an exudate from the conifer Rhus verniciflua (later known as the varnish tree) as a coating. The process was further developed in Japan, where by a.d. 400, the product was known as... 

Many species in the Europhorbiaceae and Labiatae families produce seeds with a high content of oil and contribution of hnolenic acid of up to 76% (1). Flaxseed has been used for years in the production of paints, varnishes, inks, and linoleum. In food applications, flaxseed is more often used than oil because of its better stability and because of the presence of fiber, lignans, and a-linolenic acid (ALA), which have health benefits. Cold pressed flaxseed oil is not considered suitable for deep-frying, although Chinese use it in stir-frying (2). In this chapter, oilseeds of flax, perilla, camelina, and chia are discussed as sources of oils with elevated content of ALA. These oilseeds are produced in industrial quantities and can be considered as potential sources of new oils with specific nutritional and functional properties. 

Zhou, B.G., Liu, T. Zhang, Y.M. (2000) Rock varnish microlaminations from northern Tianshan, Xinjiang and their paleoclimatic implications. Chinese Science Bulletin 45, 372-376. 

Uses Beeswax substitute in wax varnishes, candles in plasters ointments floor waxes furniture polish binder in Chinese lacquerware coatings plasticizer in dental impression compds. package coatings textile finishes emollient in cosmetics lubricant for plastics processing, textiles, metal, and rope pencils crayons wax modeling buffing... 

SILIKOPHEN P40/W binder, Chinese lacquerware coatings Japan (Rhus succedanea) wax binder, citrus coatings Carbowax Sentry PEG 300 Carbowax Sentry PEG 400 binder, clear varnishes Silres MP 42 E Silres REN 50 binder, coated materials Rhoplex B-15J binder, coating colors Blanose 7EL Blanose 7H Blanose 7H4 Blanose 7H9 Blanose 7L Blanose 7L1 Blanose 7L2 Blanose 7M Blanose 7M1 Blanose 7M2 Blanose 7M31 Blanose 7M65 Blanose 7UL Blanose 9H4 Blanose 9M2... 

Today most lacquers are made with cellulosic, alkyd, acrylic, and vinyl resins. (2) Finish on Chinese and Japanese lacquer ware. (Wicks ZN, Jones FN, Pappas SP (1999) Organic coatings science and technology, 2nd edn. Wiley-Interscience, New York) See Spirit Varnish. 

The first coated abrasive made goes back to the 13th Century, when the Chinese used crushed seashells as an abrasive grain and bonded them to parchment paper with natural gums. Other forms of coated abrasives were made by applying abrasive minerals to animal skins, leather, etc., and as time passed, animal hide glues and varnishes were used to bond grain to paper and cloth. 

Concurrently, the Egyptians, Japanese, and Chinese were beginning to develop lacquers (Stillman, I960). Some time before 200 b.c., the Chinese used the exudation (sap) from the conifer Rhus vemicifera (which became known as the sumac or varnish tree) as a coating. This plant has also been called the urushi tree. The tree belongs to the same family as the poison ivy plant, and like it, all parts of the tree are toxic— tree, sap, and latex. Those who tap the tree must wear gloves and protective clothing. The active irritant is urushiol, a catechol derivative. 

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