Materials Sciences and Applicatio ns, 2011, 2, 1507-1515
doi:10.4236/msa.2011.210203 Published Online October 2011 (http://www.SciRP.org/journal/msa)
1507
Degradation of Japanese Lacquer under
Wavelength Sensitivity of Light Radiation
Kosuke Nakagoshi, Kunio Yoshizumi*
Kyoritsu Women’s University, Tokyo, Japan.
Received June 24th, 2011; revised July 24th, 2011; accepted August 8th, 2011.
ABSTRACT
Degradation of Japanese lacquer caused by light irradiation was examined at various wavelengths. By exposing lac-
quer specimens to a narrow monochromatic light band isolated from dispersed polychromatic light emitted by a Xe
lamp source, the wavelength sensitivity characteristics of lacquer degradation could be determined on the basis of ra-
diant energy. Tame-Urushi (brown) lacquer displayed peak degradation maxima at 220 and 315 nm. A broad shoulder
peak was also observed in UVA. For Shu-Urushi (cinnabar) lacquer, in addition to peaks in the UVA-UVB range, a
large degree of degradation was observed following exposure to light in the visible range. Ao-Urushi (green) lacquer
showed similar characteristics, although it was less prone to degradation. Similarly, Shin-Urushi (black) lacquer
showed little change in response to light, although UV light caused limited degradation. These results indicate that
along with the damage caused by UVA and UVB, visible light in the range 510 - 650 nm may also have a significant
degradation effect. Our results provide experimental evidence that Japanese lacquer responds differently to light of
various wavelengths and that specific wavelengths, including visible light, can cause significant degradation.
Keywords: Japanese Lacquer, Degradation, Wavelength Sensitivity, Monochromatic Light, Spectral Reflectance,
Visible Light
1. Introduction
Japanese lacquer, Urushi, is a natural polymer, which is
used to decorate many types of crafts [1]. Raw lacquer is
an oil-in-water emulsion that is traditionally collected as
sap from specific Urushi trees [2]. Unlike synthetic
paints that dry by solvent evaporation, Urushi dries by
polymerization in moist air. As a result, the molecules
join together and form a hard, lustrous, and durable
coating [1-3].
Despite the legendary stability provided by its non-
repeating polymeric cross-linked structure, the lacquer
surface is susceptible to damage by light and color
photobleaching [1,3]. Moreover, this damage by light is
not reversible. Therefore, restoration of Urushi crafts
damaged by light is of great concern [4].
The chemical pathways by which synthetic polymers
undergo photodegradation have been fairly well investi-
gated [5-10]. UV radiation triggers many concurrent
chemical processes in polymers exposed to it and results
in various modes of damage [11]. Moreover, polymer
stability has been investigated widely to examine the
properties [12-16]. However, research on Urushi lacquer
degradation has been minimal, possibly because of lim-
ited information about the process [3].
Assessing the damage caused to materials because of
light exposure requires an understanding of their spectral
sensitivity. Spectral sensitivity data for polymers are
typically generated using a source of monochromatic
radiation or a filtered Xe white light source [6,7,11,17].
In the field of biology, results on wavelength sensitivity
have been published [18-20].
In this study, we focused on the wavelength sensitivity
of Japanese lacquer to degradation. Wavelength of light
irradiation is one of the most important factors in the
degradation process [6-9,17]. Ultraviolet radiation is
known to strongly promote degradation of materials [11].
In addition, visible light is considered to contribute to
lacquer degradation in some cases [21]. However, few
studies have focused on the dependency of degradation
of materials on the wavelength of irradiation. For in-
stance, dyestuffs are strongly influenced by light irradia-
tion [22-32]; however, there is little information on
whether specific wavelengths of light are more damaging

Degradation of Japanese Lacquer under Wavelength Sensitivity of Light Radiation 1508
than others.
In the present study, the degradation characteristics of
Japanese lacquer containing pigmented color sources
were investigated by performing a wavelength sensitivity
analysis on a radiant energy basis. The lacquer samples
were first exposed to monochromatic light, and the
wavelength dependency of degradation was determined
on the basis of action spectra. The results are expected to
provide crucial information about the conservation of
traditional Japanese lacquer crafts in museums and art
galleries as well as an increased understanding of natural
polymer sciences.
2. Experimental
2.1. Materials
The lacquer material obtained from the sap of Urushi
trees was traditionally used to coat wood substrates. The
primary component of lacquer is Urushiol, the chemical
structure of which is shown in Figure 1. Raw lacquer
comprises the following major components: 60% - 65%
Urushiol (pyrocatechol derivatives), 20% - 25% water,
8% carbohydrates, and 2% glycoproteins. Lacca, one of
the glycoproteins, acts as a catalyst in the presence of
oxygen and moisture to cause polymerization of the
Urushiol molecules. For colorization, pigments were
added to the primitive lacquer. Four different colors were
examined in this study, prepared by adding cinnabar,
copper oxide, and iron oxide to about 1% of primitive
lacquer on a weight basis. The first sample, called Tame-
Urushi, is natural dark lustrous brown without any added
pigment. The second one, called Shu-Urushi, is prepared
by adding cinnabar and mercuric sulfide. The third one,
Ao-Urushi, is prepared by adding copper oxide and is
green. The fourth one, Shin-Urushi, is prepared by add-
ing iron oxide and is black.
2.2. Exposure to Light Sources
The samples were irradiated with monochromatic light
by using a JASCO CRM-FD spectroirradiator (Figure
2).
The spectroirradiator was equipped with a 300 W Xe
Figure 1. Chemical structure of Urushiol.
1
2
34
6
7
8
9
5
Figure 2. Schematic diagram of the spectro-irradiator: 1.
Xenon arc lamp; 2. elliptical sphere mirror; 3. mirror; 4.
slit; 5. mirror; 6. mirror; 7. diffraction grating; 8. mirror; 9.
sample holder.
arc lamp with an elliptical half-sphere mirror to collect
emitted light. Radiation from this source was converted
into monochromatic light by using a diffraction lattice
grate with 1200 lines/mm. The wavelength dispersion
was about 2 nm·mm−1 and the slit was set to 2 mm, re-
sulting in an irradiation range of approximately 4 nm for
each irradiation wavelength. The specimens were posi-
tioned in a sample holder and exposed to monochromatic
radiations spaced at 16 nm intervals within the 208 - 650
nm wavelength range. For each wavelength, the light
intensity in W/m2/nm was periodically measured using a
photometer. The photometer consisted of a thermopile
detector attached to the spectroirradiator. Light exposures
were conducted at temperature and relative humidity
ranging from 20˚C to 25˚C and from 50% to 70%, re-
spectively. These systems were also used in previous
experiments published elsewhere [33-35].
2.3. Evaluation of Fading
Color change of the specimen was measured using a
Minolta Model CM-3700d color analyzer with a 4  7
mm2 viewing aperture. The amount of fading was evalu-
ated in terms of color difference and was calculated using
the following formula proposed by the CIE Committee in
1976:
ΔE = [(ΔL*)2 + (Δa*)2 + (Δb*)2]1/2,
where ΔL* is the lightness–darkness difference, Δa* is
the redness–greenness difference, and Δb* is the yel-
lowness-blueness difference.
The reflectance spectra of the lacquer specimens were
also measured by the above color analyzer.
2.4. Determination of Radiant Wavelength
Sensitivity
The accumulated energy (J/m2/nm) was calculated in
light intensity (W/m2/nm) by exposure time for each ex-

Degradation of Japanese Lacquer under Wavelength Sensitivity of Light Radiation1509
posure wavelength, because the light source is not ex-
pected to radiate at the same intensity for each wave-
length. For a specimen, the relationship between the ac-
cumulated radiant energy and the color difference was
examined in a time series experiment at each exposure
wavelength. Then, a smooth curve was drawn to model
the representative fading rates. Measured color changes
recorded at a specified radiant energy was then deter-
mined from the curve to obtain wavelength sensitivity of
the lacquer at each wavelength.
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. Color Features of Pigmented Japanese
Lacquer
Figure 3 shows the reflectance spectra of the lacquer
specimens: (1) Tame-Urushi (brown); (2) Shu-Urushi (cin-
nabar); (3) Ao-Urushi (green); and (4) Shin-Urushi (black).
In Figure 3, panel (1), the reflectance begins to in-
crease at wavelengths around 560 nm and continues to
increase, although all reflectance levels are less than 10%
within the visible light range. Such low reflectance im-
plies a dark brown color.
In Figure 3, panel (2), the reflectance increases con-
siderably from approximately 6% at a wavelength 590
nm to approximately 20% at 600 nm. Further, it contin-
Figure 3. Reflectance spectra of (1) Tame-Urushi; (2) Shu-
Urusi; (3) Ao-Urushi; and (4) Shin-Urushi.
ues to increase gradually to approximately 30% at a wave-
length 700 nm. These characteristics clearly indicate a
bright red color.
In Figure 3, panel (3), the reflectance peaks at wave-
lengths within the range of 460 - 610 nm, indicating a
bluish-green color. However, the reflectance level is only
6% - 8%, signifying a dark tone.
Figure 3, panel (4) shows that the reflectance appears
flat across the visible light range with low reflectance
level at approximately 5%. This is a specific characteris-
tic of black.
3.2. Fading Characteristics of Japanese Lacquer
under Monochromatic Light
As described in the experimental section, the degradation
results shown in Figures 4-7 were obtained on speci-
mens exposed to a narrow radiation band isolated from
the dispersed polychromatic light. In this case, the
strength of irradiance depends on the light wavelength
because the source does not emit wavelengths of equal
intensities. We can compensate for this by varying the
exposure time at each wavelength in order to maintain a
constant irradiance.
Figure 4 shows the fading characteristics of Tame-
Urushi following exposure to monochromatic light irra-
diation at wavelengths 373, 451, and 613 nm. These
wavelengths were selected as representatives of the over-
all light exposures that cause fading. Each curve shows
the variation in the specimen color under a continuous
monochromatic radiation at a constant wavelength. Fad-
ing levels are increased with increasing accumulated ra-
diant energy. Instead of a linear fading rate, the resulting
fading rate was found to be curved. The color following
irradiation at 373 nm is most considerably faded, repre-
senting a color difference of about 10. The next most
severe fading is seen following irradiation at 451 nm.
The least fading is observed under irradiation at 613 nm,
representing a color difference of about 2.
Note that in addition to variation in color due to
chemical changes of the material, fading measured here
incorporates dull appearance that occurs as a result of
very fine cracks on the surface of the lacquer following
irradiation. In this study, overall light degradation at the
specimen surface is evaluated by fading measured as
difference in color.
These results imply that the energy contained in both
ultraviolet and visible light is sufficient to break the mo-
lecular bonds of the Urushi polymer. At the same time,
because ultraviolet light contains more energy, it is un-
derstandable that it causes more damage to lacquer.
Figure 5 shows the fading characteristics of Shu-
Urushi following irradiation with monochromatic light at
373, 451, and 613 nm. Similar to the fading shown in

Degradation of Japanese Lacquer under Wavelength Sensitivity of Light Radiation 1510
Figure 4. Fading character of Tame-Urushi under (1) 373;
(2) 451; and (3) 613 nm of monochromatic light irradiation.
Figure 4, fading for Shu-Urushi lacquer was highest at
373 nm, moderate at 451 nm, and least at 613 nm. How-
ever, the degradation following irradiation in the visible
range was more remarkable than for Tame-Urushi.
Figure 6 shows the fading characteristics of Ao-
Urushi following irradiation with monochromatic light at
373, 451, and 613 nm. On the whole, the degradation
features of Ao-Urushi were similar to those of Shu-
Urushi, although Ao-Urushi seems to be more resistant to
fading in general and is more colorfast than Shu-Urushi.
Figure 7 shows the fading characteristics of Shin-
Urushi following monochromatic light irradiation at 373,
451, and 613 nm. The fading is lower compared to that of
other lacquers discussed in this study. Shin-Urushi seems
to be quite colorfast and resistant to light degradation.
Figure 5. Fading character of Syu-Urushi under (1) 373; (2)
451; and (3) 613 nm of monochromatic light irradiation.
However, even at a low level, the fading level is most
remarkable at 373 nm, which suggests that ultraviolet
light exposure induces more lacquer degradation. In this
study, degradation of lacquer was methodically evaluated,
characterizing changes in color in terms of reflectance at
the material surface. In fact, some degradation products
may be manifest as small molecules that might be easily
lost at the surface of the material. These molecules have
not been previously reported [1,3]. Moreover, water
plays an important role in lacquer degradation. Water,
beginning as one of the main components of the sap,
contributes to polymerization of lacquer. Up to 3% of the
water is considered to remain bound in the final lacquer
coating, even after drying, as part of hydrophilic com-
pounds [1]. This water loss may lead to internal stress

Degradation of Japanese Lacquer under Wavelength Sensitivity of Light Radiation1511
Figure 6. Fading character of Ao-Urushi under (1) 373; (2)
451; and (3) 613 nm of monochromatic light irradiation.
and possible cracking, causing degradation of lacquer.
3.3. Wavelength Sensitivity
The wavelength sensitivity characteristic, also known as
an action spectrum [13,28,36], for the degradation of
Tame-Urushi is shown in Figure 8. In this study, the
fading characteristics of the lacquer coated specimens
were determined when the accumulated radiant energy
reached 5 MJ/m2/nm for each wavelength, as shown in
Figures 4-7.
In Figure 8, two intense peaks were observed at 220
and 315 nm in the UVB-UVC range for Tame-Urushi.
Moreover, a large and broad shoulder peak was observed.
This suggests that UVA radiation has a significant deg-
radation effect, whereas visible light causes lesser degree
Figure 7. Fading character of Shin-Urushi under (1) 373;
(2) 451; and (3) 613 nm of monochromatic light irradiation.
of degradation.
Figure 9 shows the wavelength sensitivity characteris-
tics for the degradation of Shu-Urushi under a radiant
energy of 5 MJ/m2/nm at each wavelength. A large peak
is shown at 220 nm in UVC. In addition, a combined
large and broad peak is observed in the UVA-UVB range.
This indicates that the lacquer is strongly degraded under
UVA sunlight irradiation. Moreover, for Shu-Urushi, the
degradation peak is observed in the green-red light range
of 510 - 650 nm. Because the intensity of sunlight is
maximal around this wavelength, it is expected that
Shu-Urushi would be especially prone to degradation by
accumulating sunlight intensity during daily usage. This
agrees with a previous report by Umney, which suggests
that the lift time for red lacquer is eight months and three

Degradation of Japanese Lacquer under Wavelength Sensitivity of Light Radiation 1512
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
200300 400500 600700
Radiant wavelength, nm
Color difference
Figure 8. Wavelength sensitivity characteristics for the fad-
ing of Tame-Urushi under a radiant energy of 5 MJ/m2/nm
at each wavelength.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
200 300400 500600 700
Radiant wavelen
g
th, nm
Color diff eren c e
Figure 9. Wavelength sensitivity characteristics for the fad-
ing of Shuurushi under a radiant energy of 5 MJ/m2/nm at
each wavelength.
and a half years for black lacquer under the display lights
in museums [3]. This is further supported by the result in
Figure 9.
Figure 10 shows wavelength sensitivity characteristics
for the degradation of Ao-Urushi under a radiant energy
of 5 MJ/m2/nm at each wavelength. The peak is observed
at 315 nm and a shoulder at around 250 nm in the
UVB-UVC range. A broad shoulder peak also exists in
the UVA range. Moreover, a peak at around 600 nm in
the visible light range is observed as a result of degrada-
tion. However, the levels of color difference are lower
compared to previous Tame-Urushi and Shu-Urushi spe-
cimens. Ao-Urushi is considered to degrade relatively
faster compared to Tame-Urushi and Shu-Urushi speci-
mens.
Figure 11 shows wavelength sensitivity characteristics
for the degradation of Shin-Urushi under a radiant energy
of 5 MJ/m2/nm at each wavelength. The levels of color
difference are very low at all wavelengths compared to
other lacquer specimens in this study. This implies that
Shin-Urushi may be inert to visible light. However, a
noticeable change is observed in the UV range. The deg-
radation caused by UV irradiation can be recognized in
Figure 11, although the level is very low. While Shin-
Urushi is resistant to visible light, UV light can still
cause degradation of the polymer. This observation is
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
200 300400 500600 700
Radiant wavelength, nm
Color difference
Figure 10. Wavelength sensitivity characteristics for the
fading of Ao-Urushi under a radiant energy of 5 MJ/m2/nm
at each wavelength.

Degradation of Japanese Lacquer under Wavelength Sensitivity of Light Radiation1513
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
200 300 400500 600 700
Radiant wavelength, nm
Color difference
Figure 11. Wavelength sensitivity characteristics for the fad-
ing of Shin-Urushi under a radiant energy of 5 MJ/m2/nm
at each wavelength.
consistent with warnings that lacquer should not be ex-
posed to light below 400 nm [3]. This appears to be gen-
erally accepted and related to the relationship E = hν.
However, our results indicate other aspects of the prob-
lem, as previously described. Visible light also has a
considerable impact on the degradation of some lacquers.
The structure of lacquer crafts is complex, and a com-
bination of many factors influences their degradation.
Photoreactions are generally related to specific wave-
lengths, which are designated by the energy gap, as ex-
plained by quantum chemistry. In our study, pigmented
lacquers had different wavelength sensitivity to degrada-
tion. Therefore, those pigments are expected to transfer
their absorbed irradiation to characteristic energy gaps in
the micro mechanism of the degradation process.
4. Conclusions
In this study, the degradation characteristics of pig-
mented Japanese lacquer were investigated by wave-
length sensitivity analysis on the basis of radiant energy.
Specimens were exposed to monochromatic light and the
degradation characteristics were compiled as action
spectra. We obtained the following results:
Tame-Urushi (brown) displayed peak degradation ma-
xima at 220 and 315 nm. A wide shoulder peak was also
observed in UVA. As for Shu-Urushi (cinnabar), in addi-
tion to the peaks in UVA-UVB, a strong peak was ob-
served in the visible light range. The results indicate that
not only UVA and UVB but also visible light of wave-
length 510 - 650 nm has a significant degradation effect
for this lacquer. Ao-Urushi (green) showed similar char-
acteristics, with lower degree of degradation. Shin-Urushi
(black) was not seriously damaged by light although the
UV exposure caused small degree of degradation.
This study provides experimental evidence that Japa-
nese lacquer responds differently to light of various
wavelengths and that specific wavelengths, including
those in the visible range, can cause significant degrada-
tion. Further research is necessary to completely under-
stand the nature of Japanese lacquer. However, this study
provided insight into new aspects of the degradation
characteristics of Japanese lacquer.
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