CHEMISTRY AND RESTORATION OF PAPER MATERIAL

The course is part of the educational activities of the degree course in Science and Technology for Cultural Heritage, aimed at providing students with knowledge and understanding of the chemistry of paper materials, their degradation, possible diagnostics and restoration methods currently used or being tested.
The course "Chemistry and Restoration of Paper Materials" is divided into two main parts, both with theoretical lectures: the first deals with the Chemistry of Paper Materials, the second with restoration interventions and techniques in relation to possible diagnostic investigations preparatory to restoration.

The educational objectives of teaching include:

1. To know and understand the chemistry of the molecules that make up paper materials and their degradation.
2. To know and understand the chemistry of the graphic mediations that interact with paper media, sometimes causing their degradation.
3. Recognition of the various types of paper media through direct observation.
4. Developing skills for the choice of possible diagnostic investigations on paper materials.
5. Theoretical knowledge of restoration and conservation techniques for paper materials.
6. To develop the ability to discern the techniques and methodologies that could be used for the conservation of paper materials.

The student must have met and exceeded the objectives of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry.

CHEMISTRY OF THE MOLECULES THAT MAKE UP ANCIENT AND MODERN PAPER MEDIA
Cellulose
Hemicelluloses
Lignin

FROM CELLULOSE TO PAPER SUPPORT: PAPERMAKING METHODS
Western manufacture
Eastern manufacture
From manual to industrial production
Industrial production paper
Tracing papers and decorated papers
Live observation of ancient and modern papers
Sizing: ancient and modern sizing and their function in relation to the substrate

GRAPHIC MEDIA AND PAPER MATERIALS
Inks: brief history of materials and production techniques for manuscript and printing inks.
Other graphic mediations on paper: pigments, lacquers, etc.

CHEMICAL DEGRADATION OF THE MOLECULES THAT MAKE UP PAPER SUBSTRATES
Acid degradation and alkaline degradation of cellulose
Oxidation of cellulose
Foxing
Biodeterioration of paper materials: rodents, insects, microorganisms.
Factors favouring biological deterioration
Prevention
Degradation of paper substrates: influence of the production period and the quality of the papers used
Chemical degradation of inks: consequences of interaction with paper substrates.



RESTORATION OF PAPER MATERIALS

-Preliminary diagnostics

Preliminary photographic documentation
Spot tests and preliminary tests for the recognition of constituent materials.
Other types of non-invasive diagnostic investigations

A new approach in the restoration of paper materials: measuring the conductivity of paper for new types of wet cleaning.

-Restoration intervention

Criteria for choosing the restoration intervention to be carried out
Cleaning of paper materials
Dry cleaning
Wet treatments for cleaning paper materials: preliminary tests, humidification, washing, various types of minimally invasive techniques
Deacidification of paper substrates: aqueous and alcoholic methods compared.
Oxidising treatments in papers affected by oxidative degradation: when to intervene and methods in use.
Laceration suturing and gap integration: choice of method and materials.
Adhesives in the restoration of paper materials: the choice of adhesive according to needs and interaction with the support.
Intervention on graphic mediations: how and when intervention is necessary.
Temporary and permanent consolidants and fixatives
Choice of materials to be used in the restoration intervention: qualitative criteria.
Nanomaterials and restoration of paper materials: new techniques in comparison.
Gels in the restoration intervention.

For each type of intervention real cases of interventions will be shown: some paper samples and concrete examples will also be evaluated during the lectures.

A didactic visit to a restoration workshop is planned in order to view live methods, restoration techniques and original works.

Lecture notes

 AA.vv., Libri e documenti. Le scienze per la conservazione e il restauro, a cura di Mariagrazia Plossi e Antonio Zappalà, Mariano del Friuli, Edizioni della Laguna, 2007.
 Tschudin Peter F., La carta. Storia, materiali, tecniche, Roma – Passariano , Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura, 2012.
 Humter Dard, Papermaking. The history and technique of an ancient craft, New York, Dover Pubblication Inc.
 Banik G., Cremonesi P., De La Chapelle A., Montalbano L., Nuove metodologie nel restauro del materiale cartaceo, Collana “I Talenti”, Padova, Il Prato, 2003.
 Hunter Dard, Papermaking. The history and technique of an ancient craft, Dover Pubblication inc., New York, 1974.
 Adrover Gracia I., Applicazioni della spettrofotometria IR allo studio dei beni culturali, Collana “I Talenti”, Padova, Il Prato, 2001.
 AA.vv., Renovantur iussa Regis per Franciscum tradita. Il restauro di 13 manoscritti del Sacro Convento di Assisi, Edizioni Scritti monastici, Teolo, 2015.
 Baldacchini L., Il libro antico, Roma, Carocci, Nuova edizione aggiornata, 2007.

 Calvini P., Gorassini A., Albillos C., Ferrosi A., FTIR analysis of historic documents degraded by iron-gall inks, in Atti del IV Congresso Nazionale di Archeometria , Pisa, 1-3 February 2006, ed. Pàtron, Associazione Italiana di Archeometria, Bologna (2007), pp. 679-689.
 Calvini, P., Gorassini, A., FTIR deconvolution spectra of paper documents, “Restaurator” n°22/ 2002, pp. 48-66.
 Ferrer N., Sistach M.C., 2005. Characterisation by FTIR spectroscopy of ink components in ancient manuscripts, in “Restaurator” n° 26/2005, pp. 105-117.


 Kecskeméti I., and Seppälä M., False-Colour Infrared (FCIR) imaging with standard digital camera, in Metal in Paper, 7th triennial meeting for Restorers of the Baltic States, Riga, 10 December 2005
 Krekel C., The chemistry of historical iron gall inks, in “Forensic document examiners”, n°5/1999, pp. 58-59.
 Plossi Zappalà M., Gli inchiostri da manoscritto: composizione, alterazioni, conservazione, in A.Zappalà (a cura di), La Conservazione del Materiale Librario, Gorizia, Ed. Vittorelli , 2004, 2a Ed.
 Potthast Antje, Henniges Ute, Banik Gerhard, Iron gall ink-induced corrosion of cellulose: aging, degradation and stabilization. Part 1: model paper studies, in “Cellulose” January 2008.
 Senvaitiene J., Beganskiene A., Kareiva A. Spectroscopic evaluation and characterization of different historical writing inks, in “Vibrational Spectroscopy” n° 37/2005, pp. 61–67.
 Sistach M.C., Espadaler I., ‘Organic and inorganic components of iron gall inks’, in International Council of Museum – Committee for Conservation, 10th triennal meeting, Washington 1993, Vol. II pp. 485-489
 Bollettino OPD

SITOGRAFIA

https://irongallink.org/
https://iada-home.org/journal-of-paper-conservation/
www.photoactivity.com/Pagine/Articoli/024Digitale_Infrarosso/Digitale_Infrarosso.asp
https://www.degruyter.com/journal/key/rest/html
http://www.ipac.regione.fvg.it/aspx/Articoli.aspx?idCon=2857&idMenu=889&liv=1&idAmb=121&idMenuP=79

The method of verifying learning is based on passing the oral test, which will consist of a series of questions relating to the programme covered.
Evaluation of the ability to analyse and choose possible investigations, interventions or techniques that could be applied on a paper sample submitted to the student by the lecturer.

Teaching is structured:
1. With lectures
2. With concrete examples of restoration work and the techniques used (images and videos) - [Second part of the teaching].
3. Direct observation of paper samples from various epochs and periods.

Teaching material (articles and some texts) will be available on the University's "moodle" platform.

Italian

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