Re: alum as paper size

eml@gate.net
Wed, 26 Jul 1995 09:28:26 -0400 (EDT)

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Potassium Aluminum Sulfate (Alum) is an often-used food
additive(Pickles, etc.) whose purpose is to maintain
crispness in canned goods, probably by hardening the
vegetable gums present. It should be available at
any chemical supply house that deals with food processing
companies. Food grade will be FAR cheaper than
reagent grade, and far purer than the developers of
alternate processes ever dreamed of. It is a major
constituent of all hardening fixers, and Kodak swears that
amateur use of such chemicals poses insignificant
environmental threat.

Of course, gelatin and vegetable gums swell less in slightly
acidic water, so a small amount of citric or boric acid
might prevent excessive swelling for you. One thing to
remember, also, is that some people are advising that
chemical hardening may adversely effect the life of gelatine.

Sorry for being so longwinded.

-- 

    _/_/_/_/ _/_/    _/ _/   | Edward M. Lukacs 
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