According to the Indian Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), lac should have a special mention among all forest products in India as half the global production of shellac comes from India. And the country has been witnessing steady growth in exports of lac-based products for five years. But this product has been used since the time of Mahabharata and its description is found in Atharvaveda.
What Is The History Of Lac?
In Mahabharata, Pandavas were make to stay in a palace built from lac with the ulterior motive of burning them in the dead of night. Apart from this phenomenon, the use of lac dye in medicine is found in several manuscripts which are more than 800 years old. But it is the Atharvaveda that correctly describes the lac insect and host sins.
What Is Lac?
Shellac is a natural resin of exceptional properties and versatility. The only commercial resin of animal origin comes from an insect called Laccifer lacca (Ker). The hard part of the lac insect is consumed as a resin and, its biodegradable properties make it a gift to mankind. And it has been used for centuries in one form or the other. Recently, the scientific community of the country made it one of the best forest products industry in the country.
How Is Lac Cultivated?
Lac insect lives in trees where it produces the resin. For cultivation, the resin derived from the lac-bearing twigs of the hosts. They are cut either before a larval emergency or after. The former technique is called ari, and the latter is called phunki. The resin is separated from the twigs with hands or sometimes by scrapping with a knife or sickle. The resin is then taken to the market for selling.
What Are The Properties Of Lac?
Lac is considered safe by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It has been in use in various forms like as a dye in cosmetics and medicines for centuries. And the scientific community has only expanded its area of use and made it one of the fastest-growing forest-based industries. At present, it's used as a film former, plastic, insulator, adhesive, and cement.
Its dielectric properties, strength, and low thermal conductivity make it an ideal material for making electric equipment. Also, it doesn’t change its electrical properties even under UV radiation. Similarly, its acidic properties make it suitable for use as a ‘was’ coating over citrus fruits to increase their shelf life. The furniture industry also uses lac for finishing furniture pieces.
Here’re Some Of The Best Uses Of Lac
Film Former: Metal foils, pear varnishes, wood sealers, enamels, and undercoats
Cosmetic: Provides water-resistance seal in nail polish
Glaze: Confectionary, coffee beans, and medicinal pills
Watchmaking: Used to adjust and adhere pallet stones to the pallet fork due to its low melting temperature
Dental: In the production of custom impression trays and dentures
Fireworks: Used as a low-temperature fuel to achieve colors like greens and blues those are hard to create with other fuel mixes
Plastic: Used in grinding wheels, insulators, general molded articles, and sealing waxes
How Is Government Supporting Shellac Production?
In 1957, the then government formed the shellac export promotion council intending to promote growth and promotion of lac in domestic as well as global markets. IBEF defines Its vision as realizing the full potential of non-timber forest products through collaborative action. Also check Who Is The Father Of Coffee Production In India?
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