The Paper De-acidification process
BY ETIWEL MUTERO Introduction The Michigan State University Libraries says before the American civil war paper was made from cotton and linen. These fibres made a very durable paper, but acquiring the materials and processing them was time consuming and costly. As the demand for paper increased, a new material and paper making techniques were required to meet the demand. Wood pulp was the new material and while it met the increase demand for paper, it came a host of problems. When paper made from wood pulp reacts with heat, light and moisture, acids are formed. These acids in paper weaken the strength of the paper making the paper turn yellow, less flexible and becoming brittle. In this paper the author is going to write on the de-acidification process as a conservation treatment employed to retard or slow down the rate of deterioration. The author will also try to find if de-acidification is a total solution to paper preservation problems. Definition of Terms Accord