Wheat flour

Wheat harvest

Description

A fine, white powder obtained from grinding seeds of cereal grasses of the genus Triticum. Wheat flour is primarily used for food products. It contains starch and glutenous proteins. It will form a thick, viscous paste with boiling water that, once dried, is strong and water-insoluble. Wheat flour paste has historically been used as a size for textiles and as a paste for relining and hinging. It is no longer in used in conservation because it is susceptible to attack by microorganisms and because it can only be removed with the aid of enzymes.

Wheat flour

Synonyms and Related Terms

wheat paste; harina de trigo (Esp.); farine de blé (Fr.); farina di grano (It

Physical and Chemical Properties

• Flour paste contains both starch and gluten (proteins).
• Starch paste contains only starch.

Resources and Citations

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 868

• Hermann Kuhn, Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art and Antiquities, Butterworths, London, 1986

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