Demand of guar gum has increased during last few decades of guar gum . Present commercial importance of guar gum is because of its use in oil and gas well stimulation specifically hydraulic fracturing in which high pressure is used to crack rock. Guar gum makes the fracturing fluid thicker so that it can carry sand into fractured rock. This fracture remains open due to presence of sand which
creates a path for gas or oil to flow to well bore. Guar derivatives for use in fracturing fluids are hydroxypropyl guar (HPG) and carboxymethyl hydroxypropyl guar (CMHPG).
In textile and carpet printing, guar gum thickens the dye solutions which allow more sharply printed patterns to be produced. Guar gum has been used
in explosives for over 25 years as an additive to dynamite for water blocking. Now, it has become the primary gelling agent in water based slurry explosives. Water blocking, swelling and gelling property of guar gum make it enable to use as an additive in explosive industry. Explosive property is maintained by mixing of ammonium nitrate, nitroglycerine and oil explosives with guar gum even in wet conditions. The production of paper is enhanced by an addition of small amounts of guar gum to the pulp. It serves as a fiber deflocculent and dry-strength additive. It provides denser surface to the paper used in printing. Research investigation shows that high viscosity guar gum derivatives can be obtained by treatment of guar gum with complexing agents. These agents react with guar gum to form complexes with high viscosity gel.