Washing, Spraying and Brushing. A Comparison of Paper Deacidification by Magnesium Hydroxide Nanoparticles
AbstractThe paper presents the results of studies on the deacidification of model papers (Whatman) using nanodispersions of magnesium hydroxide in 2-propanol. Preliminary experiments showed greater effectiveness of nanodispersion deacidification in comparison with the standard magnesium hydroxide reagent which was applied in the form of micrometric particles. Further analyses compared the effectiveness of deacidification by washing, spraying and brushing. Although all of the tested methods caused an increase in the pH of paper water extracts, the assays of magnesium contents using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy with an Energy Dispersive X-ray spectrometer (SEM-EDX) showed greatest effectiveness of deacidification by washing. Dispersion spraying requires repetition of the operation at least three times in order to provide an effect that would be comparable with that of washing. Brushing seems to be a less effective method of magnesium hydroxide application to paper. When comparing uniformity of magnesium application on the surface of the paper samples (mapping, SEM-EDX), it was found that the deacidifier was distributed more uniformly when sprayed than in the case of washing.