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Deacidification refers to chemical treatments meant to slow down the acid hydrolysis and embrittlement of books and paper documents that had been printed on acidic paper. From the early 1800s up to about 1990, papermakers used aluminum sulfate, an acidic compound, in most printing papers. Certain deacidification methods use non-aqueous media to distribute alkaline mineral particles such as MgO within the pages of the treated books. Evidence is considered here as to whether or not the proximity of alkaline particles within such documents is sufficient to neutralize the acidic species present. Because much evidence suggests incomplete neutralization, a second focus concerns what to do next in cases where books already have been treated with a non-aqueous dispersion system. Based on the literature, the neutralization of acidic species within such paper can be completed by partial moistening, by high humidity and pressure, by water condensation, as well as by optional treatments to enhance paper strength and a final drying step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ir-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of olefins is widely used for production of value-added bulk and fine chemicals. The iridium catalysts with chiral spiro phosphine-oxazoline ligands developed in our group show high activity and high enantioselectivity in the hydrogenation of olefins bearing a coordinative carboxyl group, such as α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids, β,γ-unsaturated carboxylic acids, and γ,δ-unsaturated carboxylic acids. Here we conducted detailed mechanistic studies on these Ir-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation reactions by using (E)-2-methyl-3-phenylacrylic acid as a model substrate. We isolated and characterized several key intermediates having Ir-H bonds under the real hydrogenation conditions. Particularly, an Ir(III) migratory insertion intermediate was first isolated in an asymmetric hydrogenation reaction promoted by chiral Ir catalysts. That this intermediate cannot undergo reductive elimination in the absence of hydrogen strongly supports the involvement of an Ir(III)/Ir(V) cycle in the hydrogenation. On the basis of the structure of the Ir(III) intermediate, variable-temperature NMR spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations, we elucidated the mechanistic details of the Ir-catalyzed hydrogenation of unsaturated carboxylic acids and explained the enantioselectivity of the reactions. These findings experimentally and computationally elucidate the mechanism of Ir-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of olefins with a strong coordinative carboxyl group and will likely inspire further catalyst design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mass deacidification has been an important topic in cellulose science and will continue to be a critical issue as long as acidic books and paper-based materials are-a often major-part of library and archive stocks. Different means are available to judge the result of a deacidification treatment and to address its sustainability and efficacy. The present study compares deacidification by dispersed particles with procedures that apply homogeneously dissolved alkaline compounds, both under humid and dry accelerated aging conditions. Analysis by size-exclusion chromatography coupled to light scattering detection is used in combination with accelerated aging. The number of chain scissions, i.e. cellulose degradation, is the parameter used for evaluation, expressed as stabilization factors relative to the non-treated specimen. Upon deacidification with homogeneous solutions stability factors of about four were reached, while deacidification with dispersed particles gave only two times longer life times (stability factor of two). Mechanistic aspects are discussed in terms of alkaline reserve, cellulose degradation and mobilities of deacidification agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major libraries have been placing increasing reliance upon non-aqueous mass deacidification in an effort to avoid hydrolytic decomposition of the cellulose during storage of bound volumes. Such decomposition is especially a problem when the printing papers used in manufacture of the books have been prepared under acidic conditions, using aluminum sulfate. But there is reason to doubt that the widely used non-aqueous treatments, in which "alkaline reserve" particles are deposited in the void spaces of the paper, can achieve neutralization of acidity throughout the paper structure under the conditions most commonly used for treatment and storage. Anecdotal evidence suggests that alkaline particles such as CaCO3, MgO, Mg(OH)2, or ZnO can be present for long periods of time adjacent to acidic parts of cellulosic fibers without neutralization of the acidity, especially the acidity within the fibers. If these phenomena can be better understood, then there may be an opportunity to use a high-humidity treatment of certain "deacidified" books in order to achieve more pervasive protection against acid-induced degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ionic fixatives Rewin® EL and Mesitol® NBS are in established use to prevent bleeding of water-sensitive media during aqueous treatment. Their single or combined application varies among practitioners, also with regard to the inclusion and intensity of any subsequent rinsing. Lack of rinsing and local fixative applications are known to risk paper discolouration. The function of aqueous rinsing subsequent to fixative application was studied on Whatman filter paper samples treated with fixative solutions of Mesitol® NBS, Rewin® EL or the Bückeburg fixative solution, which is a suspension of both. After artificial ageing, the samples were analysed as follows: discolouration formation via CIELAB measurement; cellulose damage via molar mass (Mw) and carbonyl group content; alteration of the paper's electrostatic charge via dye colouration; quantification of fixative residues via gravimetry, polyelectrolyte extraction and IR spectroscopy. Results on treated and artificially aged papers show that rinsing is of great importance for diminishing the residue and thereby any negative effect of remaining fixatives discolouration formation, Mw loss and carbonyl group increase. Papers treated with Rewin® EL and the Rewin® EL-containing Bückeburg fixative solution showed these effects significantly. Mesitol® NBS seemed to have no negative, and may have a positive effect on the studied paper ageing properties. One 15-min aqueous rinse was the minimum required, three 10-min rinses were effective in maximising the fixative removal from Whatman filter paper, which is crucial to prevent undesired side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 'Fourth Preservation Day' took place at the Berlin hotel 'Dietrich-Bonhoeffer-Haus' on 6th October 2014 and was organized by the competence centre for preservation issues in archives and libraries in Berlin and Brandenburg. A brief outline of the lectures, presentations, and guided tours will be given in these proceedings. Some of the main issues were the regional pilot projects run by the coordination office for the preservation of the written cultural heritage (KEK) in 2013, the 'digis'-funded project to digitize the glass plate collection of the Landesarchiv Berlin, the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for the prevention of pest infestation, the biocide-project of the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz (SPK), various mass deacidification methods in Germany and the afternoon tours conducted in three institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we present a wide-range spectrochemical analysis of the degradation products from naturally aged paper. The samples obtained from wash waters used during the de-acidification treatment of leaves from a 16th-century-printed book were analysed through NMR, IR, Raman UV/Vis, EPR and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy and HPLC-MS and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analysis. By these methods we also studied some of the previous samples treated by acidification (sample AP) and catalytic hydrogenation (sample HP). Crossing all the data, we obtained precise indications about the main functional groups occurring on the degraded, water-soluble cellulose oligomers. These results point out that the chromophores responsible for browning are conjugated carbonyl and carboxyl compounds. As a whole, we show that the analysis of wash waters, used in the usual conservation treatments of paper de-acidification, gives much valuable information about both the conservation state of the book and the degradation reactions occurring on the leaves, due to the huge amount of cellulose by-products contained in the samples. We propose therefore this procedure as a new very convenient general method to obtain precious and normally unavailable information on the cellulose degradation by-products from naturally aged paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the sustainability of mass deacidification of books from the German National Library (DNB) and Berlin State Library (SBB) in Germany. It says that both libraries use mass deacidification treatment through Papersave™, CSC Book Saver™, and Libertec™ processes. It states the investigation of surface pH, alkaline reserve, and molecular structure of cellulose to determine the effectiveness of deacidification of books and the stability of paper.

The article discusses the deacidification of books at the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg (State and University Library, SUB), Germany. Due to the high costs of this project, a fundraising campaign named "Hamburg ohne Worte" and the exhibition "Aktion Lesezeichen" with the goal to raise awareness among the population and government of Hamburg were created in September 2006. The SUB stretches the importance of national restoration and preservation programs, and transfer to other media types.

The article discusses a November 2008 further education conference at the Carl von Ossietzky Provincial and University Library in Hamburg, Germany on the theme "So That Paper Persists... Experiences With Mass Deacidification." The rationale, methodology, scope, and evaluated results of paper deacidification projects in various German libraries were reviewed.

Abstract: In libraries and archives some of the time-acidified items are so brittle that they cannot be handled without risking loss of material. Currently used deacidification processes do not impart improved mechanical properties to the paper. The use of alcoholic solutions of three different types of aminoalkylalkoxysilanes was studied for the deacidification of paper-based items. It was shown that in addition to deacidifying and improving the stability of papers by providing an alkaline buffer the treatment also significantly improved their mechanical resistance, as measured by the folding endurance and tensile breaking resistance. Essential for the appraisal of the deacidification process, the behaviour upon ageing of the materials treated was investigated. Accelerated ageing methods involving heat/humidity and nitrogen dioxide atmosphere were used separately. It was shown that the reinforcement effect of the three aminosilane compounds tested persisted throughout the ageing, and in one case the mechanical properties even improved after ageing. Two of the aminosilanes tested were studied for their impact at the macromolecular level, on the molar masses of cellulose, using size-exclusion chromatography with multiangle light scattering detection. Their effectiveness in protecting paper from acid hydrolysis occurring during ageing was found significant. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper discusses deacidification workflow methodology and reports on pH testing of current acquisitions to indicate use of alkaline paper in new publications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Any issues of organization and logistics in the realm of mass treatments for conservation and preservation purposes are of particular complexity. In 2003 the Central and Regional Library Berlin was able to launch a project of this kind. Two problematic areas will be addressed: the treatment of mould infestation by means of fine cleansing (in exceptional cases by gamma ray exposure), and mass deacidification by means of a process newly introduced in Germany. The successful implementation of the so-called CSC Book Saver Process will be presented for the first time in this experiential report together with the project's phases of preparation and realization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For planning library conservation measures like mass deacidification, microfilming or digitalisation in acidic book collections, it is nessessary to carry out a damage survey first. This survey should, on the one hand, make it possible to assess the extent of the damage and the suitability of the books for certain kinds of preservation, and on the other hand give direct access to the individual damaged book. With the Göttingen State and University Library as an example, it will be examined if and how a damage survey could be carried out in principle. For this a model is outlined as to how such a damage survey could be carried out. It is discussed if an item-by-item survey or a sample is more suitable, and a damage questionnaire is presented. Furthermore, the paper indicates how the questionnaire can be transformed into a database. Finally the possible course of the survey including preparations and evaluations is outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Presents summaries of reviews of several information resources on book preservation. 'Book Preservation Technologies and Summary,' a publication from the Office of Technology Assessment; 'Mass Deacidification for Libraries,' a monograph by George M. Cunha; 'Preserving Knowledge: The Case for Alkaline Paper,' a collection of articles issued by the Association of Research Libraries.

The article discusses a mass deacidification process of library goods that is planned by the German National Library. The project is part of a support program for the conservation and restoration of endangered mobile cultural property. The main focus of the project will relate to Prussian cultural property documents.

Focuses on establishing a deacidification regimen as part of a collection stewardship. Effect of acidic paper on book collections; Background on the acid problems and deacidification treatment; Steps to deacidifying books.

The article covers issues related to the conservation of library materials in the United States. A correct procedure for opening a newly-bound volume of a book is to slowly open the book to a normal reading angle. The Library of Congress has launched efforts to perfect the diethyl-zinc mass deacidification process. A seminar on conservation of library materials has been sponsored by the New York Metropolitan Reference and Research Library Agency held on November 29, 1983.

Provides information on mass deacidification systems based on the book `Mass Deacidification: An Update on Possibilities and Limitations,' by Henk H. Porck.

The article discusses a project undertaken by the German National Library to determine the sustainability of a massive deacidification of its holdings. The project is part of a program for the conservation and restoration of endangered cultural artifacts (KUR), which is funded by the federal and provincial governments.

The article presents news and updates related to art libraries. The Office for Intellectual Freedom of the American Library Association has received a grant from the U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities. A building will be built to house the Library of Congress' Book Deacidification Facility. The National Gallery of Art is now a member of the Research Library Group.