JAIC 1986, Volume 25, Number 1, Article 2 (pp. 15 to 29)

VAPOR PHASE CONSOLIDATION OF BOOKS WITH THE PARYLENE POLYMERS

Bruce J. Humphrey

ABSTRACT—In a previously published paper on the application of parylene technology to conservation1, the author proposed that parylene vapor polymerization might have applications in the consolidation of bound books which have become weakened or embrittled due to the high acid content of the paper. When applied to paper substrates, this process is irreversible. It is not known at this time whether the benefits derived from use of the material will be great enough to overcome the reluctance to use such an irreversible procedure.The princpal purpose of the present paper is to introduce to the conservation community the basic concept that weakened or brittle books may benefit by gas phase treatment with the paraxylylenes. Areas under discussion are: explanation of parylene, characteristics of the polymer, the deposition process, response of books to the application of a medium vacuum, technical problems posed by bound volumes, the gaseous diffusion phenomenon, the problem of polymer thinning, determination of dimer charge, immersion tests to determine coating efficiency, moisture content and deposition efficiency with bound volumes, tensile strength and fold endurance, and general conclusions drawn from this initial investigation into the gas phase polymerization of parylene polymers within bound books.

Article Sections:

1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION
2. SOME GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE POLYMER PHASE OF PARYLENE
3. A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE DEPOSITION PROCESS
4. RESPONSE OF A BOUND VOLUME TO VACUUM
5. A REVIEW OF TECHNICAL PROBLEMS POSED BY VACUUM POLYMERIZATION IN BOUND VOLUMES
6. DETERMINATION OF DIMER CHARGE
7. IMMERSION TEST
8. MOISTURE CONTENT AND DEPOSITION EFFICIENCY
9. TENSILE STRENGTH AND FOLD ENDURANCE
10. FOLD ENDURANCE
11. GENERAL CONCLUSIONS
a: References

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