PAPER STABILISING SYSTEM
Mechanical paper consolidation for the mass treatment of highly fragile paper objects
As a preventive conservational measure, ZFB:2 deacidification is proven to increase the lifetime of acidic papers, endangered by degradation, by a factor of 5. Nevertheless, mechanically already highly degraded papers will still be fragile after the deacidification process. Especially newspapers from the last decades and centuries are often so far degraded and brittle, that a safe handling for digitisation or even utilisation is not possible anymore. Without a stabilizing consolidation treatment, their information will be lost for the upcoming generations and the respective objects will rest as “mummies” in storage.
After intense research and development activities, ZFB provides a novel paper stabilising system for the mass treatment of highly fragile papers. Increasing the tensile strength up to 300 %, the treatment allows a safe handling in the digitisation process and even a careful use of mechanically degraded paper objects, which would become for ever inaccessible otherwise.
In a nutshell
- stabilisation with a solvent-free biopolymer film in a two-step transfer process
- exclusively use of components, which are already established in paper conservation
- transfer process allows the reduction of water contact for the object to a minimum
- unwanted side effects of water-based treatments like bleeding inks or dyes are avoided
- optical and tactile appearance close to the original
- double-sided stabilisation in small formats (like A5) up to newspaper format (max. A2)
- a preceding ZFB:2 deacidification ensures a fully and sustainable preservation
The ZFB research and development department developed a special biopolymer film for use in the mechanical fixing process.
- stabilisation with a solvent-free biopolymer film in a two-step transfer process
- exclusively use of components, which are already established in paper conservation
- transfer process allows the reduction of water contact for the object to a minimum
- unwanted side effects of water-based treatments like bleeding inks or dyes are avoided
- optical and tactile appearance close to the original
- double-sided stabilisation in small formats (like A5) up to newspaper format (max. A2)
- a preceding ZFB:2 deacidification ensures a fully and sustainable preservation
Für die Anwendung im maschinellen Festigungsverfahren entwickelte die ZFB Forschungs- und Entwicklungsabteilung einen speziellen Biopolymerfilm.