ORIENTAL LACQUERS

The oriental lacquer is prepared from the sap of the which is an emulsion of an aqueous phase and an organic phase called urushiol.The urushi fraction consists of a mixture ofcatechol derivatives substituted in 3-position with aliphatic C15 or C17 side chains.About 60% of these side chains sre trienes.The structure of the trienes is similer to that in linseed or tung oil and is essential for the effectiveness of the oxidative curing of oriental laquer.We have utilized new techniques and used combinations of modern techniques to analyze the urushiol mixtures and to characterize and identify each individual compound.We have also de veloped ultraviolet stabilizers for oriental laquer stabilizers that could be incorporated into the polymerizing mixture during the curing process to result in urtraviolet stabilized oriental laquer.