£art I] Lindsay and Harlow : Lac and Shellac 
6$ 
On the other hand it' is doubtful whether the mechanical process 
can produce a shellac so suitable for all purposes as the hand-made 
shellac. The precise difference between the two products has never 
been discovered, but a difference undoubtedly exists, and the success¬ 
ful manufacturer by mechanical methods will be he who is able to 
ascertain and neutralize this difference. Certain it is that, in remov¬ 
ing the last traces of alcohol from the shellac, it is very difficult to 
avoid dehydration and consequent insolubility, and also some darken¬ 
ing of colour. The machinery employed is expensive and hence, if 
the stick-lac supply is short and the machines cannot work regularly, 
the capital charges are high. 
There is undoubtedly a big future before the mechanical process 
as soon as these and connected problems can be solved. Their solu¬ 
tion should only be a matter of time and research. 
Numerous alternative methods have been suggested for the me¬ 
chanical manufacture of shellac and numerous patents have been 
registered. Puran Singh suggests the use of wood spirit (methyl 
alcohol^as an alternative for methylated spirit (ethyl alcohol) and 
brings forward sound arguments in favour of its use. Other investi¬ 
gators suggest solution in an alkali, filtration, and precipitation with 
an acid, or the use of centrifugal force to filter molten lac directly 
from its impurities. Their success has yet to be established. 
Kiri or Phog is the refuse remaining in the bags after the 
shellac has been squeezed out. It is a 
Manuf^Jure° dUCtS °* Shellac black and sticky mass and is pressed while 
still warm into cakes about one inch thick 
and eight to ten inches in diameter. It consists of animal remains, 
fibre and woody material, with a large proportion of lac resin and a 
considerable quantity of lac-wax. It is worked up in different 
ways:— 
(i) KiVi from the manufacture of high grade’shellac is mixed 
with stick-lac and used in the manufacture of TN. 
(2) It is bought by machine manufacturers in India and abroad 
and used for the manufacture of garnet lac by the 
alcohol process. 
(3) It is used in local Indian industries; principally the 
manufacture of bangles and toys. 
[65] 
