Shellac is a secretion of the
lac insect Coccus lacca, found in the forests of
Assam and
Thailand. Freed from wood it is called "seed lac." It is
soluble in
alkaline solutions such as
ammonia,
sodium borate[?],
sodium carbonate, and
sodium hydroxide, and also in various organic solvents. When dissolved in
acetone or
alcohol, shellac yields a
varnish of superior gloss and hardness. Orange shellac is bleached with
sodium hypochlorite solution to form white shellac.