There is a very good chance indeed that "lithographers gum" is not gum
arabic. It may be somewhat misleading but it is not a lie. It if said
"lithographers gum arabic" then it would be a different story.
>>> really gum arabic but is really a synthetic polymer? Possibly it is
>>> polyvinyl alcohol or a similar stuff? This cropped up somewhere in my
>>> research on gum.
>
>> Judy says:
>
>>I know, Dick, that you don't believe everything you hear, because I
>>myself, personally, have told you things you didn't believe.
>
>I don't think I was being absolute about it, I posed it as a question.
>
>
>>For one thing, PVA is generally much more expensive, so why sell it for
>>less than it brings? For another, what crook (and s/he would have to be a
>>crook, since the label says "pure gum arabic") would add colorants to make
>>their "gum" dark brown when natural PVA is relatively if not completely
>>pale? For yet another, many customers would know the difference and raise
>>holy hell...
I remember reading in some consumer magazine about some manufacturers that
labeled their product, "pure maple syrup". Indeed, whatever maple syrup was
in their products was pure, but 50% of the bottled products contained cheap
adulterants!
And it was legal...for a while anyway...
>I have some 3M stuff here that is called "R Process Gum" it says nothing
>about it being Arabian or any other ethnicity. It is clear white with no
>coloring. PVA is expensive, but that is relative, expecially when you are
>buying it by the ton. I would venture to say that the bottle, label
>screening, and cap costs more than the contents, whether gum arabic or PVA.
>Since you say yours is actually labeled "gum arabic", you are probably
>right in your assertions that it is gum arabic. My 3M stuff is still in
>doubt and could be any number of things.
I agree. I can smell a fish here, although I don't think it's fishglue;-)
Luis Nadeau
NADEAUL@NBNET.NB.CA
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada