| Abstract: | SUMMARY. Determinations of mechanical properties, by zero-span tensile strength performed on detached pieces of 47 of the British Parliamentary Papers might have given more alarming results than if they had been performed on a whole page. Nevertheless, the results illustrate well the overall present paper condition. To evaluate if a book requires a conservation treatment, the state of degradation of an entire page is taken in consideration. We believe that the rolling test is an effective one for visual evaluation and deserves further attention, as it can be carried out on a larger surface of the page, and is much less destructive than a double fold test. The data in Table 2 seem to indicate that (with the exception of sample B) if a paper cannot be safely rolled around a cylinder of 20 mm in diameter, it requires precaution during handling. The PyGC is also effective for evaluation of paper deterioration. By using the relative peak areas of levoglucosan and levoglucoscnone as an index, a rapid evaluation of the degree of deterioration of paper seems possible using a tiny sample, without damaging the original. |
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