Volume 9, Number 1
May 1996

Correction

The first story in the News column of the December issue, "Research Project on Lignin and Paper Permanence," mistakenly reported that Paprican was doing some paper aging in connection with the joint research project on lignin and paper permanence. Here is how the story should have read:

Research Project on Lignin and Paper Permanence

A Canadian project to determine the impact of lignin on paper permanence is being carried out by the CCI (Canadian Conservation Institute) and Paprican (Pulp & Paper Research Institute of Canada). The Canadian General Standards Board expects to use the results of the project to help determine requirements for Canadian Permanent Paper Standards.

Progress reports from the two research institutions were sent a few months ago to members of the Permanent Paper Project Alliance, which probably includes supporting organizations in addition to research and testing labs. CCI reported that testing and accelerated aging of samples had begun.

CCI has made encouraging progress in measuring the degree of polymerization of lignin-containing samples. As of last June, the procedure decided on was to delignify the sample, then treat it with borohydride to stabilize the cellulose, then dissolve the cellulose in Cadoxen. For a softwood pulp 83% of the cellulose is dissolved, while for hardwood pulps all the cellulose is dissolved.

Paprican will do accelerated aging with gaseous pollutants in a chamber that they have been building themselves. Samples exposed to gaseous pollutants will then be aged further at CCI. Staff prepared 8,700 control and calcium carbonate filled (2% alkaline reserve) handsheets of TMP, BCTMP, bleached kraft and rag pulps, as well as three pulp blends; they also collected ten Canadian commercial papers of an equally wide variety, and were planning last June to characterize them in terms of their paper composition and pH.

Early in 1995, CCI sent aged handsheets to Paprican, which tested them.

This project is not the same as the ongoing ASTM/ISR research in the U. S., but the two efforts are being coordinated.