ASTM paper aging research program

Since 1994, ASTM has been engaged in a major research program into
the aging of printing and writing papers.  Its goal was to develop
scientifically sound methods by which to accelerate the aging of
such papers.  That goal has now been met.  Three test methods have
been developed.  They use elevated temperature, elevated light flux
and increased concentration of common atmospheric pollutant gas to
accelerate the aging.  To be considered scientifically sound, the
research had to demonstrate that the chosen methods produced
essentially the same chemical and physical changes in the paper as
occur over long term natural aging.  The research shows that the
proposed methods are, indeed, scientifically sound.

Five internationally distinguished laboratories participated in the
research. Light aging studies were conducted at the USDA Forest
Products Laboratory in Madison, WI and at KCL (the Finnish Pulp and
Paper Research Institute) in Espoo, Finland.  The pollutant studies
were carried out at the Image Permanence Institute at Rochester
Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY. The temperature studies
were performed at the US Library of Congress in Washington, DC and
at the Canadian Conservation Institute in Ottawa, ON.

Thirty-three organizations sponsored this $4 million (USD) program.
They ranged from pulp and paper companies and their suppliers to a
number of distinguished organizations in the library, archive and
museum communities.

The paper that more fully describes the program can be found in
Conservation OnLine (CoOL) at
<URL:http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byauth/arnold/astm-aging-research/>

Bruce Arnold
Chair: ASTM Paper Aging Research Program
R. B. Arnold Associates, Inc.
244 Wencin Terrace
West Chester, PA 19382-1990
610-429-9469
Fax: 610-429-9647


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 15:39
                Distributed: Tuesday, November 27, 2001
                       Message Id: cdl-15-39-001
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