British gum

Description

An impure form of dextrin prepared from starch that is hydrolyzed by roasting at 150C (300F) without the use of acid. These high temperatures produce a dark colored dextrin that is used in industry as a paper adhesive. British gum is soluble in warm water and it is typically used in concentrations of 10-35%. British gum gives a reddish-brown color in iodine.

Synonyms and Related Terms

starch gum; dextrin; goma de almidón (Esp.); dextrina (Esp.); destrina (It); gomma d'amido (It)

Authority

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 263

• Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)

• Book and Paper Group, Paper Conservation Catalog, AIC, 1984, 1989

• The Merck Index, Martha Windholz (ed.), Merck Research Labs, Rahway NJ, 10th edition, 1983

• Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000