Morphological and Mechanical Properties of Book Cellulose-Based Paper (XXth Century) Treated with Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles

Paper aging and protection processes play an essential function in the preservation of library collections and archives. In this study, some physical-mechanical properties of paper samples from XXth century books (private collections), such as pH acidity, tensile strength, and modulus of elasticity, as well as optical properties, such as absolute change in yellowness, were examined before and after treating them with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HAp). Accelerated light aging was also evaluated and discussed. The treatment with HAp nanoparticles increased the paper’s pH to slightly alkaline values (approximately pH 8). Washing and treating the paper improved its mechanical properties compared to untreated paper; the tear length increased by 35% and the modulus of elasticity increased by 56%. That the treated and aged samples are more elastic than the original samples demonstrates that HAp nanoparticles consolidated the cellulose fibers. Additionally, particle morphology, size, composition and size distribution were assessed via image analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the ImageJ processing program.