B. (beeswax - burnt umber)

 
Beeswax - A wax produced by many species of bees; the most common is Apis mellifica. Beeswax is secreted from the organs on the underside of the abdomen of the worker bees to form honeycomb cells. The wax is prepared for use by first melting the combs in hot water then filtering out the impurities which may contain resins, sugars, and plant materials. The waxes from different localities and species can vary considerably in colour (light yellow to dark brown), texture and chemical composition. The darker varieties are often bleached by exposure to light and air or with chemicals. Beeswax contains about 10-14% hydrocarbons in addition to alcohols, fatty acids and esters. The primary component is myricyl palmitate  (C₁₅H₃₁COOC₃₀H₆₁). Punic wax is refined beeswax. Beeswax has been used as a protective coating, adhesive, paint binder, and plasticizer. Oil was often applied to the surface of stucco marble to increase the gloss of an already well polished surface often followed by further wax treatment: in these cases, wax, sometimes beeswax, was applied to the surface with a linen cloth.
Synonyms: punic wax; crude beeswax; bleached beeswax; yellow beeswax; white beeswax; virgin beeswax; ghedda wax; cera colla.
Wittenburg (1999); Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2000)

Binder -  (1) Almost any cementing material, either hydrated cement or a product of cement or lime and reactive siliceous materials. The kinds of cement and the curing conditions determine the  general type of binder formed. (2) Any material, such as  asphalt or resin, that forms the matrix of concretes, mortars, and sanded grouts. (3) That ingredient of an adhesive composition which is principally responsible for the adhesive   properties that actually hold the two bodies together. 
RS Means Building Glossary (undated)

Bitumen - A common name for the organic, or hydrocarbon, portion of asphalt. Bitumen is a dark brown or black solid to semisolid material. It was used by ancient Egyptians as an adhesive. Bitumen is currently is used in hot-melt adhesives, coating, paints and sealants. It is also used as a waterproof binder or protective coating. The name bitumen has been used as a synonym for asphaltum, tar, and pitch and was also used as a commercial product name for a transparent, brown artists pigment made from asphalt. 
Synonyms: asphaltum; tar; pitch
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2000); English Heritage (2000)

Blended cement - A hydraulic cement consisting of an intimate and uniform blend of (a) granulated blast-furnace slag and hydrated lime, (b) Portland cement and granulated blast-furnace slag, (c)  Portland cement and pozzolan, or (d) Portland-blast-furnace slag, cement, and pozzolan. Blended cement is produced by intergrinding Portland cement clinker with the other materials  or by a combination of intergrinding and blending. 
RS Means Building Glossary (undated)

Boiled oil - A type of linseed oil processed with heat and metallic dryers to produce a faster drying product. Boiled linseed oil is not actually boiled but heated to about 130-150°C with small amounts of soluble dryers (organic salts of manganese, lead or cobalt). This treatment accelerates the drying process and makes the oil thicker. Boiled oils have been used for industrial paints, varnishes and waterproofing.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2000)

Bois durci - A brand name for an early plastic material made from albumen or blood mixed with sawdust from a hardwood such as ebony or rosewood. The sawdust could be mixed with any vegetable, mineral or metallic powders and the albumen with any other glutinous or gelatinous substance. The powder was soaked in albumen diluted with water, dried and then compressed in a steel mould under heat and pressure. The cooled mix formed a hard, dense, glossy product. Bois Durci was patented by FranVois Charles Lepage in Britain in 1856. It was produced between 1855 and the late 1880s, and was used to make decorative mouldings, usually in the form of plaques commemorating famous people.
Trench (2000);  Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2000)

Bone black - An impure black carbon pigment prepared from burnt animal bones. Bone black, or animal black, contains about 10% carbon along with 84% calcium phosphate with smaller amounts of magnesium phosphate and calcium carbonate. The blue-black pigment is denser than carbon black and has a good working quality for oil paints and watercolours. A fine particle grade of bone black is now sold as ivory black and an inferior grade has been sold under the name of Paris black. Drop black is dried lumps formed after bone black is mixed with water and glue. Drop black was commonly used in the 19th century for house paints. Bone black  is listed among the pigments used for colouring stucco marble in the nineteenth and twentieth century. 
Synonyms : animal black; ivory black; drop black; Frankfort black; German black; Pigment Black 9; CI 77267; Paris black; abaiser.
Wittenburg (1999); Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2000)

Bone glue - A strong, liquid adhesive made from collagen in bones, sinew and cartilage. Bone glues are considered inferior to skin and parchment glues. They are often sold in granular form instead of sheets.  Bone glue is mentioned as one of the organic additives used for stucco marble preparation according to literature.  See also animal glue.
Synonyms: lining glue; animal glue
Wittenburg (1999);  Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2000)

Borax - A natural product composed of hydrated sodium borate. Borax is produced by the evaporation of water in shallow lakes. Borax was used by the Egyptians for mummification and by the Romans for glassmaking. In the 9th century, it was used as a flux for soldering gold in Arabia and by the 10th century, borax was being used in ceramic glazes in northern China. By the 13th century, tincal (borax) was regularly imported from Tibet to Europe for use in Venetian glass. The white powder is now mined from deposits in India, Russia, Persia and California. Borax was one of the inorganic additives used for stucco marble preparation according to literature.  Borax was especially used for stucco or special gypsum-containing cements.
Synonyms: sodium borate decahydrate; sodium diborate; tincal; tincalconite; tincar; hydrated sodium boration; sodium tetraborate; rasorite; Sporax®.
Wittenburg (1999); Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2000)

Brazil wax - See carnauba wax
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2000)

Bremen blue - A synthetically prepared azure blue pigment composed of copper hydroxide and copper carbonate. Bremen blue was probably first made in the 18th century and was used in the 19th century for both distemper and oil based interior house paints. Its particles are more rounded and regular in size that natural azurite.  See azurite, and copper carbonate, basic.
Synonyms: blue verditer; blue bice; copper blue; blue ash; lime blue; Neuwied blue; mountain blue
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2000)

Brick -  Standard rectangular block or tablet bonded on mortar joints in a regular arrangement or pattern for strength or decoration. The individual units, of reasonably consistent size and shape, are generally lightweight and small enough to be picked up with one hand, allowing their positioning and setting in mortar to be accomplished by one person. Brick is made by pressing a form of clay, called brickearth, into a mould and then hardening it either by sun-drying or firing. It may contain varying quantities of chalk, lime or iron oxide which effect colour, density, texture and durability, as does the type of brickearth used. 
Trench (2000); English Heritage (2000)

Brown millerite - An oxide of calcium, aluminum, and iron commonly formed in  Portland cement and high alumina cement mixtures. 
RS Means Building Glossary (undated)

Burnt gypsum -  An archaic common name for plaster of Paris. Plaster is prepared by burning gypsum to drive off the water of crystallisation, thereby producing hemihydrate calcium sulphate. See plaster of Paris.
Synonyms: plaster of Paris; calcined gypsum; brime.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2000)

Burnt lime - See calcium oxide.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2000)

Burnt umber - A chocolate brown iron ore pigment made by burning umber. Burnt umber contains calcined raw umber, iron oxide plus manganese dioxide. It is a permanent pigment that has been used in oil and watercolour paints.
Synonyms: Caledonian brown; Cappagh brown; mineral brown; Turkey umber; Pigment Brown 7; CI 77492.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2000)
 

Bibliography             Index