The main cause of decay of paper is its acid content, which in combination with time of exposure ultimately leads to mechanical failure. Deacidification helps paper fight acidity produced during the natural aging process but has no strengthening effect1. We have developed a stabilization methodology for simultaneous deacidification and fiber strengthening based on the copolymerization of polysiloxanes using compounds with different alkoxy and amine functionalities2. Two di-alkoxysilanes, with one amine function (AMDES, aminopropylmethyldiethoxysilane) and with two amine functions (AEAPMDMS, N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropylmethyldimethoxysilane), and a tri-alkoxysilane (APTES, aminopropyltriethoxysilane) were copolymerised and used as fiber dry strengthening agents in a model paper made of pure cellulose. Deacidification is ensured by the amine function while the random insertion of flexible linear segments into a rigid polymer network through copolymerization of tri- and dialkoxysilanes should allow the formation of a flexible polymer network. This should mitigate the rigidity imposed when a dense network is inserted in the paper fibers, and possibly help restructure degraded amorphous regions of cellulose by more efficiently interconnecting the fibers. Two treatment methods were used for the treatment. The polymerization and copolymerization of the polysiloxanes in the paper were investigated by using infrared spectroscopy and by measuring the soluble fraction amount extracted (characterized by NMR) from the treated papers. The study of the physicochemical properties of the treated paper (mechanical strength measurements and alkalinity) demonstrated that, the required deacidification feature was verified and that the different treatments allowed an efficient strengthening of the cellulose fibers to various extents. This novel preservation strategy for acidic and fragile paper especially targets documents that are currently unfit for purpose because of their very poor conservation condition. 1. Souguir Z, Dupont A-L, d’Espinose de Lacaillerie J-B, Lavedrine B, Cheradame H (2011) Chemical and Physicochemical Investigation of an Aminoalkylalkoxysilane As Strengthening Agent for Cellulosic Materials. Biomacromolecules 12:2082-2091 2. Piovesan C, Dupont A-L, Fabre-Francke I, Fichet O, Lavedrine B, Cheradame H (2014) Paper strengthening by polyaminoalkylalkoxysilane copolymer networks applied by spray or immersion – A model study. Cellulose 21:705-715

Paper strengthening and desacidification by polyaminoalkylalkoxysilane copolymer networks: A model study

249th National Meeting (2015)

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