Shellac – Dewaxed Bleached Powder

Dewaxed Bleached Shellac (Ph.Eur.) – Refined Bleached Shellac (USP) – White Shellac (JP)

European Union Approved Food Additive: E904 – Glazing Agent

Vegetarian Society Approved for vegetarian diets. Halal and Kosher certificates available. REACH exemption statement available.

CAS Number: 9000-59-3

EINECS Number: 232-549-9

Source

Shellac is a natural resin refined from Lac, the resinous secretion of the tiny scale insect, Kerria lacca, which is parasitic on certain host trees in India. The resins from different insect strains can have different colours and chemical compositions. The selection of the Seedlac is important to ensure a uniform and consistent quality of the final product.

Dewaxed Bleached Shellac is refined using the Bleaching Process, in which Seedlac is dissolved in an aqueous alkaline solution. The solution is then filtered to remove any insoluble material and the wax, before being bleached with sodium hypochlorite to remove the colour. The Shellac is then precipitated from the solution by adding dilute sulphuric acid, before being filtered, washed with water and dried.

Properties

SWANLAC® Dewaxed Bleached Shellac is supplied as a light yellow powder and contains ≤0.2% wax. It is soluble in alcohol and aqueous alkaline solutions.

SWANLAC® Dewaxed Bleached Shellac is a food grade Shellac, with Kosher and Halal certificates available on request. Each batch is supplied with a Certificate of Analysis according to the specification for Shellac E 904 in EC Regulation 231/2012. SWANLAC® Dewaxed Bleached Shellac is also supplied as a pharmaceutical grade Shellac. Test reports according to the specifications of the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur. or EP), the US Pharmacopoeia (USP) or Japanese Pharmacopoeia (JP), as well as a report on the microbiological status, are available on request.

SWANLAC® Dewaxed Bleached Shellac of high and constant quality with a narrow specification. It is manufactured using solely light coloured Kusmi Seedlac which means only a moderate amount of bleaching is required, resulting in a relatively low acid value and less impact on the molecular structure of the Shellac. Our use of sophisticated drying equipment also means we are able to achieve relatively low moisture levels in the final product.

All other parameters are as per the specifications for E 904 and the European Pharmacopoeia.

Uses

When SWANLAC® Dewaxed Bleached Shellac is dissolved in an alcohol or an aqueous alkaline solution it appears clear and transparent and has good film forming properties, providing a high gloss coating with good surface adhesion.

In the Food industry, aqueous Shellac solutions can be prepared with a Halal certification. For applications in the Confectionery industry, SWANLAC® Dewaxed Bleached Shellac can be formulated with oils or waxes.

Pharmaceutical glazes based on SWANLAC® Dewaxed Bleached Shellac show a brilliant gloss. Due to the narrow specification and constant quality, SWANLAC® Dewaxed Bleached Shellac can also be used as a controlled release coating for Nutritional Supplements for tablets and soft and hard capsules.

Please click on the following links for more information about how SWANLAC® Dewaxed Bleached Shellac is used in the following industries and its applications:

Food & Agriculture Industry

Confectionery & Chewing Gum Industry

Pharmaceutical & Nutritional Supplements Industry

Wood Treatment Industry

Textiles & Leather Industry

Printing & Packaging

Industrial & Other

Glazing Agents & Edible Surface Coatings

Binding Agents

Varnish, Polish & Non-Edible Coatings

Technical & Other Applications