User:Sblais/BPG Wheat Starch Paste

THIS ENTRY IS A DRAFT

This page covers the topic of wheat starch paste.

Wiki Compilers:
Wiki Contributors: Sandrine Blais, your name could be here

Copyright 2026. The AIC Wiki is a publication of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC). It is published as a convenience for the members of AIC. Publication does not endorse nor recommend any treatments, methods, or techniques described herein. Information on researching with and citing the wiki can be found on the Reference and Bibliography Protocols page.

Cite this page:

American Institute for Conservation (AIC). "User:Sblais/BPG Wheat Starch Paste." AIC Wiki. January 6, 2026. https://www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/User:Sblais/BPG_Wheat_Starch_Paste.

General information about starch adhesives

The adhesive qualities of vegetable starches were recognized in early history. The first recorded use of a starch adhesive dates from the first century A.D. in a description of papyrus manufacture by Pliny the Elder using a paste made from wheat flour. Starch adhesives are now used throughout the world in numerous industrial applications such as papermaking and textile manufacture. Western paper conservation use has been influenced by the East Asian scroll mounting tradition.

Source

Starch adhesives are derived from the roots and seeds of plants such as corn, potatoes, rice, and wheat. The last two are commonly used in conservation. The plant material is processed by a variety of means including treatment with acids, bases, enzymes, and oxidizers. These processes modify a starch's viscosity and "retrogradation" (i.e., stiffening). Depending on the starch type, and the processing method, a vast range of viscosities and adhesive strengths can be produced.

Chemical and physical properties

Starches are naturally occurring polymers of glucose. With the empirical formula of (C₆H₁₀O₅)n, where the exact value of n is unknown. Starch has a more intricate structure than cellulose because its molecules have two distinct areas: 75% has a branched amylopectin molecular structure and 25% has a linear amylose molecular structure. The exact percentages of amylose and amylopectin for each starch is largely responsible for its working properties.

"Amylose and amylopectin have different properties, both as dry films and in solution. The highly regular linear structure of amylose allows it to dry from solution to form strong films...Amylopectin, being more amorphous, forms weak films".

Wheat starch contains 18-27% amylose while rice starch contains approximately 17-19% amylose. An AYTEX-P wheat starch representative stated that their wheat starch consistently has an amylose fraction of 25% and that American wheat starches have a consistent range from 23-25%. The 18-27% amylose range reflects world-wide variation. European or Japanese amylose ranges may be different from American wheat percentages.Vincent Daniels measured the percentage of amylose in aged Japanese paste, reporting that at two years of aging the amylose is approximately 19%, at four years it is approximately 22%, and at fifteen years it is approximately 24%.

During paste-making the amylose and amylopectin areas of the molecule behave very differently. The amylose fraction is responsible for the internal strength of a starch, many of its working properties, and for its degree of stiffening upon cooling. Thus, the amylose is responsible for gelatinization.

Identification

Amylose stains intensely blue in the presence of iodine. Amylopectin stains red to purple Wheat starch pastes stain blue/purple with iodine.

Physical form

Vegetable starches are white powders consisting of tiny granules that vary among starch types in form, size, range of size, and marking. Granule sizes range from less than 0.001 mm to 0.15 mm of diameter. The granules are crystalline.

pH

The pH of starches and starch products is not reliably measured by indicator papers, but should be tested with the pH meter. During commercial manufacture, pH is usually kept between 4.0 and 7.5. In the lab, the pH of either the starch-water slurry or the cooked paste can be adjusted easily. Some conservators use alkaline water to prepare pastes that can serve a dual purpose of adhesion and assistance in alkalization/neutralization (e.g., lining). High pH (above 7.5) favors ready dispersal and slow settling of the granules. However, above pH 7.5 discoloration may result when the paste film dries. Variations of pH among starch granules or uneven dispersion of any pH adjustor can negatively affect a paste's appearance and performance.

Possible additives

None.

Health hazards

No health hazards. However, as with all fine powders, a dust mask should be worn by those sensitive to airborne irritants.

Storage/shelf life

Starch powder can be stored indefinitely if kept in an air-tight container in a cool place. Starch pastes are subject to fairly rapid biological attack within a few days of preparation. The deterioration can be slowed somewhat by the addition of a fungicide, but it is recommended that paste be made fresh on a weekly basis to avoid adhesive failure. Because fungicides can cause yellowing of paper over time some conservators avoid mixing a fungicide into their paste by attaching a fungicide-soaked cotton ball or blotter onto the storage container lid. Some conservators do not use any fungicide, but make fresh paste frequently. Others prefer to store their paste in a refrigerator; however, paste "should not be kept at the low temperature of a domestic refrigerator (4°C/39.2°F) as it will become granular and lose adhesive qualities". East Asian and some Western conservators store their paste under water which is changed daily. Any blending, stirring, or straining of a starch paste before storage may result in more mold spores being introduced into the paste, making it spoil faster.

Preparation

Pastes for use in conservation are generally prepared by first soaking the starch in water and then cooking it in additional water. Longer cooking time, higher temperatures, and agitation promote the necessary bursting of the granules. Each starch has its characteristic gelatinization range which extends from approximately 55-80°F (131-176°F). Cooking technique, as well as origin of the starch, affect the characteristics of the resulting adhesive. (See discussion of preparation methods below)

Solubility

Starches do not form true solutions, but rather colloidal dispersions. Cooked starch paste is a mixture of greatly swollen granules, fragments of granules that have burst open, and dissolved starch. Starches swell in cold water and are partially dispersed in hot water. Starches are broken down with starch specific enzymes and are soluble in 2,1 n methyl pyrrolidone.

Aging characteristics

Reversibility

Pure starch adhesives remain indefinitely swellable in water and exhibit good reversibility. Starch adhesives of unknown quality found on objects being treated might require starch specific enzymes for their removal. Reversibility may be difficult with thick paste layers; enzymes or mechanical removal may be necessary.

"Amylose has been shown to degrade by photo-oxidation and hydrolysis reactions on exposure to ultraviolet, resulting in breaking of the chain and production of organic acids".

Appearance

Good quality starch adhesives should not undergo any color change after aging. As encountered by conservators on previously treated objects, appearances can range from invisible to continuous coatings of slightly gray or yellow translucence to crumbly, opaque surfaces in tones ranging from white to gray to yellow/tan.

Relative Strength

Some conservators feel that dried starch paste films gradually become brittle.

Biological Attack

Starch adhesives are also subject to attack by insects, rodents, and enzymes.

Wheat starch paste from precipitated starch - Western style

This is the primary adhesive for Western paper conservators and the standard against which other adhesives are judged. It is used in numerous applications such as hinging, mending, lining, facing, reinforcement, and consolidation or fixing of media. Wheat starch paste can be very strong, yet at the same time it can be modified and manipulated for very delicate applications. When diluted for delicate work, a well-made paste will not undergo a sudden loss of viscosity, but a gradual and continuous change. This allows a great number of adhesive strengths from one material.

Source

Starches are separated from flour in a wet partitioning step and then dried in the following manner. Wheat flour is kneaded with water producing a stiff mass in which the starch is trapped. After slight aging to allow the gluten and starch to separate from each other, the starch granules are washed out with water. Extraneous fibrous material is caught by a sieve as the starch-water slurry passes through. The starch is concentrated from the slurry by centrifuge and dried.

The most commonly used wheat starch in America is Aytex-P which is manufactured by Henkel (formerly by General Mills). It is distributed by several companies. Sources for precipitated starches from Japan include; Harada (Kisa & Co., Ltd.) and Nakamura Co. (available from Conservation Materials, Reno, NV, called Zin Shofu).

Chemical and physical properties

Identification

Wheat starch has more small granules than large, with 70% less than 50 microns in diameter. The granules are spherical and saucer-shaped.

Physical Form

Wheat starch is available as a fine, white powder.

pH

Varies with method of manufacture.

Aging characteristics

Reversibility

Wheat starch has a higher linear fraction than rice starch and therefore exhibits greater retrogration than rice starch paste.

Application

A well made paste can be diluted indefinitely and retain its proportionate strength. High water content of starch pastes may require methods to minimize overwetting and resulting cockling and staining. Such methods include dry linings or blotting the adhesive prior to use. Wheat starch paste does not adhere well to fatty grounds and is not recommended for use with oil media.

A disadvantage of wheat starch paste is that it sometimes causes a faint, grayish haze in paper, for example around mended tears. This is presumed to result from an altered refractive index of the paper surface. Assuming application of the thinnest, driest paste film possible, this situation can be remedied by using rice starch paste. If maximum strength is unimportant, or can otherwise be compensated for, an appropriate cellulose ether can be suitable. Starches are largely free of nitrogen and sulfur and have no negative effects on pigments.

Wheat starch paste from fresh starch - Japanese style (Shinnori)

This is the primary adhesive for Japanese conservators. In addition to the functions which parallel those in which Western conservators use wheat starch paste, this adhesive is used for wood to wood bonds in scroll mounting. This paste is felt by its advocates to have a degree of viscosity not matched by paste made from dried starch.

Source

Japanese-style paste is made from a starch which has been freshly separated from flour in the process of gluten manufacture. This separation process is essentially like that used in the West, except that the starch is not concentrated by centrifuge and dried after separation. Instead, the starch-water slurry is poured into a vat where it is allowed to settle into three distinct layers. The bottom layer is nearly pure wheat starch. Freshly produced starch may be difficult to find in the U.S.

Chemical and physical properties

Maintained as a starch-water slurry.

Preparation

Paste-making from wet starch is similar to the process used in the West, with individual preferences for, and modifications of, cooking temperature time and degree of agitation. The following modifications sometimes made in traditional Japanese methods are noted but not necessarily recommended. To reduce viscosity the paste is mixed with aged paste; seaweed gelatin is added to increase elasticity; persimmon extract is added to increase strength and water resistance, and presumably, resistance to bacterial, fungicidal, and vermin attack.

Storage/shelf life

The undried starch is stored in a cool, dark place with regular changes of its protective cap of water until needed for paste-making. If properly kept, the paste may be stored indefinitely.

Wheat starch paste - Japanese-style, aged (Furu-nori)

Compared to freshly-made paste, this adhesive is reputed to be weaker and more flexible. It is less prone to cause planar distortions in paper supports. Typically used at least eight years after its preparation, it imparts flexibility in multiple lining layers where it is used for secondary and tertiary backings, as well as in scroll linings. This paste is not generally used in the U.S.

Source

The paste is prepared from fresh wheat starch and is made in the coldest months of the year in order that it mature successfully.

Chemical and physical properties

Some authors describe properly made aged paste as snow-white, others as pale-beige. The paste is an opaque solid with a crumbly, almost dry texture. It is less viscous than its freshly-made equivalent.

Aging characteristics

Vincent Daniels studied the strength of adhesion between new and aged pastes and found no differences (Daniels 1988, 9). However, in Japanese traditional practice, aged paste is considered weaker and more flexible.

Preparation

Specific methods of cooking and aging vary from workshop to workshop. One method is as follows. Several batches of freshly prepared, then cooled, paste are put into a thick-walled ceramic jar. A layer of water is added to cover the paste, an air space is left, and finally the jar is covered to prevent evaporation of the water layer. The jar is stored in a cool, dark place for eight to ten years or longer. Once a year, on an extremely cold winter day, the water layer is poured off and any mold is removed. Fresh water is added and the jar is resealed. For the paste to age properly, various organisms (a tick and several types of fungi) must develop and die in a certain sequence within the top layer of the paste.

A method for making "artificially aged paste" is described by G. Van Steene and L. Masschelein Kleiner 1980.

Recipes (Western style)

All recipes use distilled or deionized water.

Most recipes call for wetting the dry starch thoroughly before cooking. Using cold water can help avoid premature thickening and inadequate dispersion. Assuming reasonable mixing together of the dry starch and water, any lumps that form are precipitation of macro-particles that result from retrogradation. Too high a temperature and/or too long a cooking time can adversely affect viscosity, adhesive strength, and color of many starches. The gelatinization temperature range for wheat starches is 58-64°C (136.4-147.2°F). When using a new material, run tests to determine proportion of water to starch, cooking temperature, and time and amount of agitation that will give best results.

The Book and Paper Gathering has a blog post from 20th October 2016 that offers a great discussion and technique for making paste

Prepared wheat starch paste

Hand stirred on hot plate

Variant 1: Library of Congress, updated in 2015

1. Add 57 g Aytex-P wheat starch to 400 mL deionized water. Stir to combine. Let the starch/water mixture stand for at least 30 minutes, and preferably overnight. This allows the starch to swell and will reduce the cooking time.
2. Pour the starch/water mixture into a non-stick pot.
3. Heat the starch/water mixture on a hot plate set to the highest setting, stirring slowly and regularly with a wooden spoon.
4. Continue to cook the paste for at least 15 minutes, until it is thick, going translucent, and is bubbling. At this point it is important to begin stirring the paste vigorously and continuously. Be sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the pot regularly.
5. Continue cooking and stirring for about 5-8 more minutes until the paste is shiny, translucent, and comes off the spatula in sheets.
6. Put paste into a clean, lidded jar. The paste will keep 3 days unrefrigerated and for one week refrigerated. Strain prior to use.

Variant 2: Upper Midwest Conservation Association

1. Cook 30 g of wheat starch and 150 ml of water, stirring constantly until the paste turns translucent.
2. Cover with a damp towel and allow to cool.
3. Strain and store in a sealed container in a dark location or store unstrained and covered with water in the refrigerator.

Double-boiler

Winterthur Museum

Soak 30 g (1.5 oz.) wheat starch in about 150 ml (5.1 fl. oz.) water for half an hour. Cook over high heat in a glass double boiler, stirring constantly with a glass rod until paste turns translucent. Turn down heat, but keep warm at a gentle simmer for 20-30 minutes. Stir continuously. The adhesive should be thick and forming stiff peaks. Cover with a paper towel and allow to cool. Strain through a non-metallic strainer before storage in a sealed container which has been swabbed with thymol. Keep jar in a cool place.

Boiling water

Harvard University Museums

Place 5 g of wheat starch in small pot with several ml of the required 150 ml of water. Make a slurry. Boil the remaining water. Add the boiling water to the paste slurry. Mix quickly for 5-10 minutes. Place paste in a 5" x 7" tray and let cool. If paste is mixed correctly, a thin scum will form on the surface. Comb this off before using. If no scum forms, discard paste and try again. This will make enough lining paste for a 30" x 40" object. If you wish to thin the paste use 1 part paste to 30 parts water. For a mending paste use 1 part paste to 10 parts water.

Brain paste

1. Combine 50 mL volume of wheat starch with 100 mL of DI water in a nonstick saucepan.
2. Stir mixture with paddle until completely dispersed.
3. Set hot plate to “6” and start to stir the paste mixture. Stir continuously, with particular strength, vigor, and rapidity as the mixture thickens.
   1. Total time is about 20 minutes. Double batches will take slightly longer.
4. Finished paste will form a stiff white ball which sticks more to itself than to the pan. Remove paste from pan and form a uniform, round, ball-like brain.
5. Set this on a small piece of Mylar to cool.
6. Paste should be removed from the interior of the brain and worked out with a brush, slowly adding water to dilute to desired consistency.

Microwave Paste

Variant 1

1. Combine 1 tsp. wheat starch with 6 tsp. water in a microwave-safe container. Stir until dispersed.
2. Set the microwave for 30 seconds at HIGH and cook for 20 seconds, or until paste is translucent and the consistency of cake batter.
3. Stop the microwave at the 20 second mark and stir the paste with a spoon.
4. Return to the microwave and let cook for the remaining 10 seconds. Stir again, remove from the microwave and let stand.
5. Cool paste forms a semisolid mass. To use: Strain and dilute with water to a thin, cream-like consistency.

Variant 2: Anne Leane

Shared at IPC meeting London 1988 notes summarized in the Paper Conservation News No. 48, 1989.

Soak 100 g of starch in 500 ml of water in a Pyrex beaker. Cook for 3 minutes in a 500 watt microwave oven at a high setting, but since the starch must be kept in suspension agitation is required and the paste should be taken out of the oven and stirred 2-3 times. The result is a creamy, soft paste which may not need sieving.

Electric Saucepan

Variant 1: Keiko Keyes

These instructions were recorded by Holly Maxson from a 1988 Japanese Woodblock Print workshop with Keiko Keyes. Added to the BPG Wiki in 2019, with commentary.

1. Make a slurry of Zin Shofu precipitated wheat starch paste powder. (Keiko thinks it is more cohesive and elastic than Aytex-P) by mixing 1 part powder (wt) to eight parts water (vol) and let it stand at least two hours if not overnight.
2. Using a Salton Sauce Maker, cook and stir the slurry for 5-25 minutes depending on the setting.
   1. Setting 3 - 10-15 minutes
   2. Setting 4.5 - 20-25 minutes
   3. Setting 0 - 5-10 minutes
3. Put the finished paste into a Nalgene container with a cotton ball taped to the underside of the lid, containing several drops of Thymol, O-phenylphenol or oil of clove as a fumigant.
   1. 2019 Note: fumigants are no longer commonly used in wheat starch paste preparation.
4. Just before use, the paste is strained through a horsehair sieve, although Keiko has used a fine stainless steel mesh.
   1. Strain several times if the mesh is coarse.
   2. Traditionally, a wooden paste bowl is used to dilute and prepare the paste for a lining, but a Pyrex tray works fine. The paste brush is lightly moistened to keep the paste from sticking to the bottom of the tray and the paste is kneaded with a back and forth motion.
   3. Every three or four movements, collect the paste in a single clump with the brush in a sweeping counter-clockwise motion. When the paste begins to get glossy and holds together as a mass, add just a few drops of water to the bristles of the paste brush on both sides. Continue to knead.
   4. The gradual addition of moisture allows the wheat starch to maintain a colloidal state, similar to the addition of oil when making mayonnaise.
   5. Separation would occur if the water were added too quickly. (This process took about 20 minutes when Keiko prepared 1/2 cup.)
   6. The thickness of the paste depends on its use. A very thick paste (Elmers glue) would be used for a large map which would not be rolled.
   7. A Japanese tissue lining on a Western paper would require a thicker paste than that needed for two congenial Japanese papers.
   8. The tolerance of the object to moisture is also to be considered when diluting the paste for a lining. If an offset paste method is being used and some of the moisture is to be blotted, a thicker paste is required. This is also true for paste to be used when a lining is done on the suction table.

Variant 2: Christine Smith

Three points are important in making wheat or rice starch paste in an electric saucepan with stirring mechanism:

• the total volume of starch and water used
• the ratio of starch to water
• the heat level(s) used

With some experimentation, excellent results will be obtained with almost no effort expended.Due to greater surface contact between the paste mixture and the doughnut-shaped metal pot, more paste will be lost as a hard skin than in a glass double-boiler; therefore measure a total volume of starch and water approximately 15-20% more than would be used for cooking in a double-boiler.

The large, open surface of the pot, the constant stirring, electric heat source, and metal container seem to contribute to more water being removed from the starch-water mixture than when using a double-boiler over a gas burner. The relative humidity in the workroom also has a noticeable effect on cooking. In our Washington, DC area lab, we generally use a starch:water ratio of 1:8 (wt./vol.). During times of dryness, we use ratios of 1:8.5 or 1:9. In times of high humidity, cooking requires noticeably more time.

Our pot is a Salton "Cook 'n' Stir", a brand which may be unavailable now. Conversation with colleagues who have the same product suggests that different pots may generate different amounts of heat. We have excellent results with our pot by cooking the starch/water mixture for approximately 25 minutes with the pot set at "5", which is the highest setting. Other conservators have said they cook their paste half-way at "5" and then reduce the heat to "3." Still others have said that at "5" they are unable to generate sufficient heat. After about 25 minutes, the sound of the stirrer changes as it moves through the nearly completed paste. At that point, we watch carefully until the outer edges of the paste batch show definite taffy-like pulling; we wait until just before we would lose the paste to dryness. At that point, we remove the paste and sieve it.

Our cooking is preceded by a three-hour period during which we periodically stir the starch-water mixture. The wheat starch we use is "Zin Shofu" from Conservation Materials in Sparks, NV. Our rice starch is "Belgium Rice Starch" from the same company.

Storage

Wheat starch paste can be kept in air-tight tubes for off-site work. Prepared paste can be stored in a sterilized, clean, dry jar and used unrefrigerated for a few days or refrigerated. Dispose of when visibly moldy and/or sour-smelling.

Bibliography

Works cited in the text are below.

Browning, Bertie Lee. 1977. Analysis of Paper. 2nd ed. New York : Marcel Dekker, Inc.

Clapp, Anne E. 1987. Curatorial Care of Works of Art on Paper. Nick Lyons : New York, NY.

Horie, C. Velson. 1987. Materials for Conservation: Organic Consolidates. Adhesives. Coating. London: Butterworths & Co.

Daniels, Vincent. 1988. "A Study of the Properties of Aged Starch Paste (Furu-Nori)." The Conservation of Far Eastern Art - IIC Kyoto Preprints. John S. Mills, Perry Smith, and Kazuo Yamasaki, eds.

Matsumaru, Mito. 20th October 2016. "Paste-Making Tips with Two Recipes." Accessed March 23, 2020. Blog post on The Book and Paper Gathering.

Priest, Dereck. 1989. Paper Conservation News 49.

Summery of a lecture given by D. Priest at the Institute of Paper Conservation.

Skeist, Irving. 1977. Handbook of Adhesives. 2nd ed. Huntington, NY : Robert E. Kreiger Publishing Co.

Stone, Janet L. and Elizabeth A. Morse. 1989. "A Method for Storing Additive-Free Wheat Starch Paste." Abbey Newsletter 13 (8). Accessed March 23, 2020.

TAPPI (Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry). 1957. Starch and Starch Products in Paper Coating: Monograph 17." New York, NY : TAPPI.

van Steen, G.B. and L. Masschelein-Kleiner. 1980. "Modified Starch for Conservation Purposes." Studies in Conservation 25(2): 64-70.

Whistler, Roy Lester. and E.F. Paschall. 1965. Starch: Chemistry and Technology, Vols. 1 and 2. New York, NY : Academic Press.

Wills, Paul. 1984. "The Manufacture and Use of Japanese Wheat Starch Adhesive in the Treatment of Far Eastern Pictorial Art." In Adhesives and Consolidants: IIC Paris Conference Preprints. London, England : International Institute for Conservation. 123-126.

Further reading

Adhesives

Appelbaum, Barbara. 1987. "Criteria for Treatment: Reversibility." Journal of the American Institute for Conservation 26(2): 65-73. Accessed April 23, 2020.

Ashley-Smith, Jonathan. 1992. "Adhesives and Coatings." Science for Conservators Book 3. London : Conservation Unit.

Bromelle, N.S., Elizabeth Pye, Perry Smith, and Garry Thomson, eds. 1984. Adhesives and Consolidants - Contributions to the Paris Congress 1984. London, England : International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works.

Cannon, Alice. 2011. "Major Developments in Adhesive Manufacture, 1750-2000." Presented at: Adhesives and Consolidants for Conservation: Research and Applications (CCI Symposium 2011)'. Accessed April 24, 2020.

A poster showing historical usage of different adhesives in different time periods.

CCI (Canadian Conservation Institute). Accessed April 23, 2020. Adhesives. Website listing Canadian Conservation Institute’s (CCI) research projects on adhesives. These include:

• Effect of modifiers on the stability of a vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer emulsion adhesive
• Evaluation of archival tapes and heat-set tissues
• Evaluation of selected PVAC and acrylic adhesives

Casey, James P. 1960. Pulp and Paper: Chemistry and Chemical Technology. 2nd ed. New York : Interscience Publishers.

Davidson, Robert L. 1980. Handbook of Water Soluble Gums and Resins. New York : McGraw Hill Inc.

Davidson, Robert L. and Marshall Sitting. 1968. Water Soluble Resins. 2nd ed. New York : Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.

DeWitte, E., S. Florquin, and M. Goessens-Landrie. 1984. "Influence of the Modification of Dispersions on Film Properties." Adhesives and Consolidants - IIC Paris Congress Preprints. London, England : IIC. 32-35.

Doerner, Max. 1934. The Materials of the Artist. New York : Harcourt & Brace Co.

Down, Jane L. and R. Scott Williams. 1988. "Handout: Report on Adhesive Testing at the Canadian Conservation Institute." CCI Ottawa Conference : unpublished report.

Gettens, Rutherford and George L Stout. 1966. Painting Materials: A Short Encyclopedia. Reprint. Dover Publications.

Hampel, Clifford A. and Gessner Goodrich Hawley. 1976. Glossary of Chemical Terms. New York : Van Nostrand Reinhold Company.

Hawley, Gessner Gessner Goodrich. 1977. The Condensed Chemical Dictionary. 9th Ed. New York : Van Nostrand Reinhold Company.

Isenberg, I.H. 1967. Pulp and Paper Microscopy. 3rd ed. Appleton, WI : Institute of Paper Chemistry.

Kirk, Raymond E. and Donald E. Othmer, eds. 1979. Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology: Vol. 5." 3rd Ed. New York : Wiley Interscience.

Koyano, M. 1979. Japanese Scroll Paintings: A Handbook of Mounting Techniques. Washington DC : Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation.

Lee, Lien-Huant. 1984. Adhesive Chemistry: Developments and Trends. New York : Plenum Press.

Masschelein-Kleiner, Liliane. 1985. Ancient Binding Media, Varnishes and Adhesives. Bromelle et al, eds. Rome : International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM).

Masschelein-Kleiner, L. and F. Bergiers. 1984. "Influence of Adhesives on the Conservation of Textiles." Adhesives and Consolidants: Contributions to the 1984 IIC Congress, Paris. London, England : International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC). 70-73.

McGuire, Edward Patrick. 1973. American Adhesive Index. Mountainside, NJ : Allyn and Bacon, Inc.

Mills, John S. and Raymond White. 1987. The Organic Chemistry of Museum Objects. London : Butterworths & Co. Ltd.

Morrison, R.T. and R.N. Boyd. 1973. Organic Chemistry. 3rd ed. Boston : Allyn and Bacon Inc.

Phelan, W.H., N.S. Baer, and N. Indictor. 1971. "An Evaluation of Adhesives for Use in Paper Conservation." Bulletin of the American Group. International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works 11(2): 58-75.

Product Literature for Archivart and Process Materials Supply Catalogs.

Sax, N. Irving. 1984. Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials. 6th ed. New York: Van Nostrand.

Skeist, Irving. 1977. Handbook of Adhesives. 2nd ed. Huntington, NY : Robert E. Kreiger Publishing Co.

Thomson, G. 1963. Recent Advances in Conservation. London : Butterworths.

Weast, Robert C. 1978. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. 68th ed. West Palm Beach, Florida : CRC Press.

Wehlte, Kurt. 1975. The Materials and Techniques of Painting. New York : Van Nostrand and Reinhold Co.

Windholz, Martha, ed. 1983. The Merck Index. Rathway, N.J. : Merck & Co. Inc.

Winter, John. 1984. "Natural Adhesives in East Asian Paintings." Adhesives and Consolidants: Contributions to the 1984 IIC Congress, Paris. London, England :International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC). 117-120.

Wheat starch paste

Down, Jane L. 2015. Adhesive Compendium for Conservation. Canadian Conservation Institute.

Kirby, Kenneth. 1965. "Vegetable Adhesives." Adhesion and Adhesives. R. Houwinte and G. Salomon, eds. London : Elswier, 1965.

McCraith, Iona. August 14, 1998. "Dry Starch Paste". ConsDistList post. Accessed March 23, 2020.

Rutenberg, M.W. 1980. "Starch and Its Modifications." Handbook of Water Soluble Gums and Resins. New York, NY : McGraw-Hill Book Co.

Stirton, Laura, J. 1986. "Adhesion Variations in Wheat Starch Paste." University of Delaware and Winterthur Museum Art Conservation Program. Unpublished.

Swanson, John. 1972. Discussion on the Cooking of Starch Pastes. Washington, DC : Library of Congress. Transcribed by Barbara Gould, Restoration Office. Unpublished.

Van Steen, G.B. and L. Masschelein-Kleiner. 1980. "Modified Starch for Conservation Purposes." Studies in Conservation 25(2): 64-70.

Whistler, Roy Lester. 1964. Methods in Carbohydrate Chemistry, Volume 4: Starch. New York, NY : Academic Press.

History of this page

This page was created in 2026 following the Adhesive page re-structuring. The information on this page originated in Adhesive and Adhesive Recipes and Tips pages.

In 2016, the BPG Wiki Coordinators reformatted this chapter by removing the numbered outline format, combining the sections on "Materials and Treatment" and "Treatment Variations", renaming sections, and improving internal links. The "Glossary of Selected Terms" was moved to the BPG Glossary of Terms page. For more information on the reformatting campaign see the History of the BPG Wiki.

Prior to the creation of the BPG Wiki, this page was created in 1989 as Chapter 46: Adhesives of the 1989 edition of the Paper Conservation Catalog (PCC). For more information about the PCC see the History of the BPG Wiki.

Liaison: Catherine I. Maynor, Diane van der Reyden.

Compilers: Antoinette Dwan, Catherine Nicholson, Christine Smith with Sarah Bertalan, Janet English, Kimberly Schenck, Linda Stiber, Sarah Wagner, Sylvia Rodgers Albro.

Contributors: Cathy Baker, Dan Clement, Debora Mayer, Denise Thomas, Doris Hamburg, Francis Prichett, Frank Mowery, Janet Ruggles, Jill Sterrett, John Krill, Katherine Eirk, Lage Carlson, Lynne Gilliland, Martha M. Smith, Mary Baker, Paula Volent, T.K. McClintock, Tim Vitale

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