Hydrogen peroxide as cleaning agent

Valinda Carroll <vcarroll [at] cwf__org> writes

Daniel-Harry Steward <posterdoctor [at] msn__com> writes

>>I use a solution of hydrogen peroxide to clean paper surfaces.  The
>>paper is usually printed posters and the inks are not affected by
>>the cleaning wash.  I have done numerous tests and the papers appear
>>to have no residual damage from the peroxide solution.  Does anyone
>have other input with this procedure.
>
>...
>Let me add that light bleaching, which is a milder form of peroxide
>bleaching also generates a lot of acids.  A light bleaching bath
>with calcium hydroxide dropped from pH 8 to pH 5 in four hours under
>a UV-filtered light bank in our lab.

I would just like to add that it is not the light bleaching that is
causing the pH drop as much as it is the acid in the paper being
washed.

Franklin Shores


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 16:5
                   Distributed: Tuesday, July 9, 2002
                        Message Id: cdl-16-5-001
                                  ***