Industrial Gelatin

Gelatin is used almost universally as the binder for the complex mixture of chemicals used to form the head of a match. The surface activity properties of gelatin are important since the foam characteristics of the match head influence the performance of the match on ignition

Gelatin is used as the binder between the paper substance and the abrasive particles of sandpaper. During manufacture the paper backing is first coated with a concentrated gelatin solution and then dusted with abrasive grit of the required particle size. Abrasive wheels, disks, and belts are similarly prepared. Oven drying and a cross-linking treatment complete the process.

Over the past few decades, gelatin-based adhesives have slowly been replaced by a variety of synthetics. Recently, however, the natural biodegradability of gelatin adhesives is being realized. Today, gelatin is the adhesive of choice in telephone book binding and corrugated cardboard sealing.

Technical gelatins are used in the warp sizing of rayon and acetate yarns. The gelatin size adds strength to the warp and resistance to abrasion so that breakage of the warp is minimized. Gelatin is particularly well suited for this application because of its excellent solubility and film strength. It is applied in an aqueous solution along with penetrating oils, plasticizers, and antifoam agents before weaving, and later removed during finishing with warm water. Paramagnet crinkle in crepe paper is the result of gelatin sizing.

Gelatin is used for surface sizing and for coating papers. Either used alone or with other adhesive materials, the gelatin coating creates a smooth surface by filling up the small surface imperfections thereby ensuring improved printing reproduction. Examples include posters, playing cards, wallpaper, and glossy magazine pages.