Zinc chloride, calcium chloride, potato start, and water are some of the ingredients of gum. It is prepared in the following way: zinc chloride is mixed with calcium chloride and the mixture is treated with hot water in a large enamelled vessel.

Starch is insoluble in water. However the starch granules swell and burst when treated with boiling water forming a colloidal suspension. It adheres well on paper. So potato granules are added to the mixture slowly with constant stirring till it forms a pasty mass. The paste is then heated constantly with 300 parts of water, cooled and then packed in plastic containers. Fillers are added to improve the dispersion of starch in water and also to prevent fungal growth in case of long storage time.

Gums are polysaccharides containing natural monosaccharides and hexuronic acids in salts forms. The monosaccharides are hexoses and pentoses which are found in ring forms. The hexoses found are beta-D galactopyranose and alpha D galactopyranose .  The pentoses found are L Arabino furanose abd L Rhamno pyranose. The hexuronic acid found are betaD glucuronic acid and beta D galacturonic acid. In plants air, sealing the wound and thus preventing infection and dehydration.