What is "Bugging" the Paint Industry?

SHELLAC SHORTAGE     

By Gene Lemons – Texas Paint & Wallpaper


A world-wide shortage of raw shellac resin is really bugging the paint industry and causing price escalations that we have not seen, in the paint coating industry, since World War II.
Shellac is a natural resin secreted from the female lac beetle during their mating season. This secretion is gathered from trees, branches and leaves, which are primarily located in the south-east Asia nations of India and Thailand.
Shellac is used in a number of specialty convenience products which are then used by consumers world-wide.  Some of the uses of shellac include products produced for nail polish, paint coatings, food processing, medical equipment use, ink products, and many other applications. Although the shelf-life of the raw shellac flakes are indefinite, the shelf-life of liquified shellac is not as long as other paint coatings made from vinyl, lacquer, or other more synthetic resins. So, “stocking-up” while supplies last may not be the best idea.

Although world-wide demand for raw shellac has risen, there doesn’t appear to be any “one thing” that has caused the shortage of raw shellac resin. One possible reason given for the shortages is that the beetles are being disturbed by human encroachments into their normal mating areas.
In its raw state, shellac is an amber flake that can be liquified into a paint coating, which can then can be applied to wood surfaces, to provide a very long-lasting protective film.
As costs continue to escalate, we anticipate a very unstable pricing market for the products we sell which are made from shellac. These products include clear and amber shellac coatings as well as shellac based primer-sealers.
While shellac has served the paint industry very well, keep in mind that there are a number of other paint products that can do many of the jobs that shellac can do.

• Varnishes and lacquers will provide a beautiful long-lasting clear finish for hardwood floors, cabinets, doors and other wood surfaces that require a natural finish.
• Water-borne and alkyd-based primer-sealers can provide the same sealing power of shellac over most stains and smoke damages.