![[CoOL]](/icons/sm_cool.gif){kind=icon}
Bio-engineering is a new science and technology developed into extensive applying areas by utilizing the latest research achievements of microbiology. Enzymes are playing important roles in every fields. Specially, conserving historical archives, ancient calligraphy and paintings with the harmless enzymes at low cost is most popular and outstanding among all the attributes.
China, with its long and great civilization, possesses a large amount of historical archives made from paper. However, due to physical or chemical and social reasons, most paper archives are closely sticking to each other like a brick, known as archive bricks, whose paper is rotten and fragile. The traditional separating work with dry, wet or temperature steaming methods is not only effort consuming but also harmful to workers and archives. Take for instance, it took three months to separate the rare and precious paintings and paper material preserved in the Imperial Palace Museum, some of them were ruined even under greatest care.
Enzyme is a kind of bio-catalyst of live cell existing in all organic bodies and involving in their metabolism and helping effective catalysis. With these characteristics, the bio-enzyme's ability to remove pollution and to separate archives is decided by the following three characters:
a. Enzyme can remove the element from pollution in papers.
b. At the 40° C., enzyme can stimulate hydrolytic reaction in neutral solution and protect papers from further pollution.
c. Enzyme has a high reaction activation.0.5 g starch enzyme can transform one ton of big molecular starch into short one C6H10O5 within 15 minutes at 65° C.
The experiments results given by the First National Archives of China is satisfactory and impressed.
First, through analyzing the archive paper, there are three major pollution compositions found:
a. Pure starch sticking.
b. Micro-organism secretion from moulds, the main reason of which causes archive bricks.
c. Co-polluted by both above.
d. Gluey pollutants.
Second, to use different bio-enzymes to remove pollutants in archive bricks.
a. Enzyme's hydrolysis against starch gluey pollutants.
Plant starch is composed by direct chain and branch chain big molecule in different percentage, which cause different starches' dextrinization temperature and various ferment's sensibilities. Starch enzyme, when stimulating and hydrolyzing direct and branch chain starch, makes starch hydrolyzed into maltose and glucose small molecule, in which case, molecular structure are disordered ,strength disappear. So, the stuck part of the archive papers can be totally separated.
b. Enzyme's hydrolysis against protein gluey pollutants.
Ancient books are usually made up with gluey sticking refined from animal skin or bone whose protein and amino acid make the gluey stuff and poisonous organic metabolite sticking papers. The protein enzyme can easily hydrolyzed the amino acid structure with catalytic reaction to destroy the structure of gluey protein.
c. Enzyme's hydrolysis against micro-organic secretion.
Micro-organisms produce secretion to stick papers. Structure character of bio-enzyme can be utilized to hydrolyze and break the molecular structure of protein and other elements. Hence pollutants are removed off with clean water and page separated safely.
A piece of sample paper of 105 x 145 mm (handmade Xuan paper). Starch glue was applied on one side and pressed with another side, then heated and dried.
Catalytic functioned bio-enzyme was immersed into water solution. It took twenty minutes to hydrolyze the starch glue with water solution's temperature 37° C. and pH value 7.2. It was fully catalyzed into small molecule maltose.
Dry bio-separating not only avoided additional damages on papers but also enable a success rate of above 95%.
To compare with the traditional ways, bio-enzyme shows its feasible and advantageous in the following:
To historical material, safety is of utmost importance. Bio-enzyme method, under the condition of 40° C. and around 20 minutes for solving pollutants, can separate archive bricks effectively with its mild and harmless liquid.
The following data were obtained from the National Archives Research Institute, Xuan paper and writing paper are selected. Compound enzymes were applied on the surface of paper evenly until full saturation. After dried, the main strength index were tested as stated in Table 1.
| Content of test Data of paper |
Folding durability (0.5kg) double fold | Torn degree (g) | Whiteness (%) | |||
| Before treatment | After treatment | Before | After | Before | After | |
| Xuan paper | 15 | 15 | 28.3 | 27.5 | 71.5 | 71 |
| Writing paper | 40 | 41 | 20.7 | 18.7 | 70.5 | 65.9 |
With bio-enzyme, pollutant components and nature are first analyzed before suitable enzyme is selected to completely resolve the pollutants. This approach does not damage archive paper or affected writing, specially to the poor durable archive bricks handle by dry bio-separation. Meanwhile archives will be protected from further pollution
The following data shown by Table II were given by National Archive Research Institute. Various writing materials were selected with compound enzyme were evenly applied onto. The writings were compared before and after applications.
| Type of writing Data Types |
Dark blue ink (dry method) | Ink for ball pen (dry method) | Carbon paper (dry method) | Prepared Chinese ink (dry method) |
| Experiment group | 0.55 | 1.58 | 0.59 | 1.35 |
| Comparison group | 0.17 | 0.39 | 0.43 | 0.02 |
Conclusion: except for the spread at the edge of dark blue ink, none of the other writings was discoloured.
Using bio-enzyme to repair and rescue historical archive is a scientific and economical way.
First, it is based on scientific experiments to find a scientific approach starting from material's basic character and regularity;.
Secondly, bio-enzyme is refined in a most economical way which does not need big investment or expensive instruments. Due to its economical attribute, the shortage of finances disturbing many archives bureaus in developing countries with heavy tasks, like China, is greatly allayed. All the bureaus can afford to purchase concerning items and learn technology.
As above mentioned, bio-enzyme method has created popular sociality. Using biological method to repair historical archives is applicable to many areas. It is the best approach to handle the ancient library bricks, specially to precious and famous calligraphy and paintings. Repair staff and archives themselves are protected from chemical or physical pollution, it can be called green method. In addition, it can also be applied to similar materials. Therefore, it is favored in popular sociality.
1. Zhang Shuzheng. Experimental Technique on Microorganism Physiological Metabolite. Beijing Science Publishing House May 90
2. Ashworth J.M. & Den J. The Biology of Slime Moulds
3. Collard, P. The Development of Microbiology
4. Cheng Guangsheng. Special Compilation on Analysing Microorganism
Beijing Science Publishing House. July 1988
5. Xu Xianhua. World of Microorganism, Beijing Science Publishing House. September 1989