Acid in paper is one of the chief culprits of paper destruction. The Library of Congress in the mid-1900’s decided to initiate a mass deacidification project. They wanted a product that would neutralize acidic paper and add an alkaline reserve. The end result should give the paper a pH value between 6.8 and 10.4 and that it be evenly distributed throughout the book. The product should not cause damage to adhesives, inks, dyes or paper pliancy. The chemical had to be safe to use and be able to be used on any kind of paper. These seem like tall orders but several companies were able to … Continue reading What does it mean to deacidfy paper?