Guar gum is needed for producing sufficient viscosity. Because less is required, costs are reduced. This would help explain its presence in so many things today. In addition to guar gum's effects on viscosity, its high ability to flow, or "deform", gives it very favorable rheological properties. It forms breakable gels when cross-linked with boron. It is used in various multi-phase formulations for hydraulic fracturing, in some as an emulsifier because it helps to prevent oil droplets from coalescing, and in others as a stabilizer to help prevent solid particles from settling and/or separating. Fracking entails the pumping of sand-laden fluids into
Gum arabic insoluble in water upon exposure to ultraviolet light. In the final print, the acacia gum permanently binds the pigments onto the paper. Gum arabic is also used to protect and etch an image in lithographic processes, both from traditional stones and aluminum plates. In lithography, gum by itself may be used to etch very light tones, such as those made with a number five crayon. Phosphoric, nitric or tannic acid is added in varying concentrations to the acacia gum to etch the darker tones up to dark blacks. The etching process creates a gum adsorb layer within the matrix that