Investigation of microscopic structures in black lacquer using quantum beams

Nankawa, Takuya 

The use of lacquer in Japan has a very long history dating back to the Jomon period. Lacquer painting is known for its beautiful colors and superior resistance to chemicals and seawater compared to today's petroleum products. Despite these excellent properties, it is very difficult to measure the structure of lacquer films, which cause the excellent physical properties and few people have investigated about it. In this study, we focused on the interactions between urushiol in raw lacquer and black lacquer and by using quantum beams, and we analyzed the nano-structure in raw lacquer and black lacquer, which is responsible for the color difference.