Paper engineering technology applied on the preservation and conservation of cultural heritage on paper

Programa de doctorat: Doctorat en Enginyeria Tèxtil i Paperera The different researching lines in the field of Preservation and Conservation of Cultural Heritage on Paper tend to evolve and join other scientific fields in order to comprehend and embrace all the problematics caused by the aging of paper and its nature. Almost every decision made to stabilize the biochemical deterioration of cellulose is strongly conditioned by factors related to the papermaking process of that specific paper. These factors may include the fiber’s origin, the beating, the cooking and bleaching treatments, the technology used in the papermaking, the additives included in the fiber’s solution and posterior surface treatments such as the sizing or the coating among others. The field of Paper Engineering is focused on the development of papermaking technologies through new products and treatments. Those, in addition to the many testing methods used in this field –measurement of paper physical and optical properties, such as tensile strength or brightness ISO-, may be extrapolated to the field of Paper Conservation, adding new criteria and information about how any treatment affects the treated heritage, opening a window for new products and treatments, more bio-compatible with the cellulose nature, allowing to reduce the using of strong chemics and other procedures that are harmful for the environment.