/oss/taxonomy/term/5615/all en /oss/article/history/bugs-plastics <p>During the first years of the twentieth century, the demand for shellac outstripped the supply. It wasn’t because people developed a sudden penchant for shiny furniture. Electricity was starting to take the world by storm and electrification required the use of insulating materials and shellac was a very effective insulator! The problem was that it was hard to come by. Shellac is the resinous secretion deposited on some species of Asian trees by Laccifer lacca beetles. Workers scrape off the resin, heat it, and filter it to produce the commercial product.</p> Fri, 20 Aug 2021 20:38:31 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8813 at /oss