Editing Lacquer (section)

==Nitrocellulose lacquers==
Solvent-based dipping lacquers that contain [[nitrocellulose]], a resin obtained from the [[nitration]] of cotton and other [[cellulose|cellulosic]] materials, debuted in the 19th century along with nitrocellulose's other commercial applications. They were used, for example, on brass items such as musical instruments. Faster-drying and more durable versions of these lacquers were developed in the early 1920s, when the end of the [[WWI]] [[Aftermath of World War I|caused]] a massive overcapacity of nitrocellulose production, and soon greatly displaced much use of the slower-drying paints and lacquers that preceded them; they were extensively used in the automotive industry and others for the next 30 years until further chemical advancements replaced them. Prior to their introduction, mass-produced automotive finishes were limited in colour, damaged easily, and took a long time to dry,<ref name="Dutton_1942">{{Citation |last=Dutton |first=William S. |year=1942 |title=Du Pont: One Hundred and Forty Years |publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WEtZAAAAYAAJ |lccn=42011897 |postscript=.}}</ref>{{rp|295–301}} with [[Japan black]] being the fastest drying and thus the most economical to use.

The problem with using nitrocellulose in lacquers was its high viscosity, which necessitated dilution of the product with large amounts of thinner for application, leaving only a very thin film of finish not durable enough for outdoor use. This problem was overcome by decreasing the viscosity of the polymer (the term actually post-dates the empirical solution, with [[Hermann Staudinger|Staudinger]]'s [[Polymer chemistry|modern structural theory]] explaining polymer solution viscosity by length of molecular chains not yet experimentally proven in 1920s) with heat treatments, either with 2% of mineral acid or in an [[autoclave]] at considerable pressure.<ref>{{cite journal |author=W.H. Dyson |title=Nitrocellulose lacquers |journal=South African Journal of Chemistry |date=July 1932 |volume=15 |issue=2  |hdl=10520/AJA03794350_530 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

The first practical nitrocellulose enamel Glossy White S.2567, still for interior use, was introduced in 1919 in the UK by [[Nobel Explosives]].<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1WviUh1u5UYC&pg=PA55 | title=House Paints, 1900-1960: History and Use | isbn=9781606060674 | last1=Standeven | first1=Harriet A. L. | year=2011 | publisher=Getty Publications }}</ref> In 1923, General Motors' [[Oakland Motor Car Company|Oakland]] brand automobile was the first to introduce one of the new fast-drying nitrocellulose lacquers, a bright blue, produced by [[DuPont]] under their [[Duco]] tradename.<ref name="Dutton_1942"/>{{rp|295–301}} In 1924 the other GM makes followed suit, and by 1925 nitrocellulose lacquers were thoroughly disrupting the traditional paint business for automobiles, appliances, furniture, musical instruments, caskets, and other products.<ref name="Dutton_1942"/>{{rp|295–301}} [[Henry Ford]] and, in the UK, [[Herbert Austin]] were introducing nitrocellulose lacquers at the same time, and soon the market flourished.

Nitrocellulose lacquers are also used to make firework fuses waterproof. The nitrocellulose and other resins and plasticizers are dissolved in the solvent, and each coat of lacquer dissolves some of the previous coat. These lacquers were a huge improvement over earlier automobile and furniture finishes, both in ease of application and in colour retention. The preferred method of applying quick-drying lacquers is by spraying, and the development of nitrocellulose lacquers led to the first extensive use of spray guns. Nitrocellulose lacquers produce a hard yet flexible, durable finish that can be polished to a high sheen. Drawbacks of these lacquers include the hazardous nature of the solvent, which is flammable and toxic, and the hazards of nitrocellulose in the manufacturing process. The lacquer grade of soluble nitrocellulose is closely related to the more highly nitrated form which is used to make explosives. They become relatively non-toxic after approximately a month since, at this point, the lacquer has evaporated most of the solvents used in its production.