Re: Starch? Dextrine?

Bas van Velzen (eland@knoware.nl)
Mon, 29 Jul 1996 22:18:01 +0100

>At 01:02 PM 960728 +1000, Judy wrote:
>>
>(snip -- snip -- snip)
>
>>But as I say, why not dextrine?
>
>Because dextrine is a sugar, not a starch. Dextrine would dissolve in the
>water, and mess up the action of the other ingredients. Then again, maybe
>not. Note the following (from the Merck Index):
>

cellulose is also a sugar, it is made of two sugar molecules joined
together and therefore (?) given another name: starch. A single carbon ring
of a cellulose molecule resembles dextrose (?) 'druivesuiker" in dutch. By
breaking cellulose down (hydrolysis) it becomes the watersoluble dextrin.
The e from dextrine is only a for anglosaxons superfluous e. In dutch,
french and maybe other languages the e has significance.

>So, though dextrin wouldn't be useful for preparing a matte finish, it might
>be interesting to try it as a sizing material instead of gelatin! Anyone
>have any dextrin to try?

see my earlier message
>
>The reason this hit me is that, as a stamp collector in another life, I
>learned that the stuff they used to put as an adhesive on the back of stamps
>was dextrin. Now they use synthetics. The dextrin adhesive had a sweet
>taste. Times change.
>

dextrin wil dissolve in water readily whereas gelatine will need some more
to dissolve, which comes in handy. Dextrin is given to children in
kindergarten (in Holland) to glue with, quit children as you can imagine, I
was one of them once a long time ago.

Bas

Jonge Eland papierrestauratie
eland@knoware.nl
t +31 20 623 79 89
f +31 20 627 32 23

VeRes (Dutch Association of Professional Restorers)
postbus 11503
1001 GM Amsterdam

PAPER IS ART IS PAPER IS ART IS PAPER IS ART IS PAPER IS ART IS PAPER