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NBSIR 73-249

Development of Specifications for

Archival Record Materials

W. K. Wilson and E. J. Parks

Paper Evaluation Section

Institute for Materials Research

National Bureau of Standards

July :iO, 1973

Semiannual Report Covering the Period

January 1 - June JO, 1973

Prepared for National Archives and Records Service

Wasiiington, D. C. 20408

NBSIR 73-249

DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIFICATIONS FOR

ARCHIVAL RECORD MATERIALS

W. K. Wilson and E. J. Parks

Paper Evaluation Section

Institute for Materials Research

National Bureau of Standards

July 30, 1973

Semi-annual Report Covering the Period

January 1 - June 30, 1973

Note: This document has been prepared for the use of National Archives and Records Service. Responsibility

for its further use rests with that agency.

Prepared for National Archives and Records Service

Washington, D. C. 20408

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE. Frederick B. Dent, Secretary

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS, Richard W. Roberts, Director

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

1. BACKGROUND 1

2. OBJECTIVES 3

3. WORK IN PROGRESS 4

3.1 Accelerated Aging 4

3.2 Specifications for Manifold Paper for

Permanent Records 4

3.3 Specifications for Bond and Ledger Papers

for Permanent Records 5

3.4 Specifications for File Folders for

Storage of Permanent Records 6

3.5 Evaluation of Office Copying Papers 6

3.6 Cooperation with the Keuffel & Esser

Company 6

3.7 Evaluation of Papers Made in NBS Mill

After 37 Years Natural Aging 7

3.8 Evaluation of Uncoated Book Papers After

10 Years Natural Aging 8

3.9 i^roduction of Acid During Accelerated Aging . 9

4. METHuDS OF EVALUATION OF NATURALLY AGED PAPERS . . 10

5. STATUS OF REPORTS AND MANUSCRIPTS 11

5.1 Reports 11

5.2 Manuscripts ...» 11

6. PLANS FOR THE PERIOD JULY 1-DECEMBER 31, 1973 . . 12
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1 . BACKGROUND

In response to a request by the National Archives and

Records Service, the National Bureau of Standards is developing information on the variables associated with the

stability of archival record materials, especially paper.

Since the inception of the project, several U.S. Government

agencies and the Society of American Archivists have joined

in sponsorship of the project through National Archives and

Records Service.

Many record materials of" archival or long-term historical

value in repositories in the Federal Government and throughout the United States are in very bad physical condition. If

Droper specifications were available for materials that are

designed to be used for permanent records, future problems

concerned with the deterioration of record materials and the

cost of repairing the mistakes of the past would be greatly

minimized.

Most of the work has been directed toward the development of an accelerated aging method. As this is a long-range

effort, in terms of time and scope, and as archivists and

librarians need specifications today for record materials,

interim specifications based on pH requirements are being

prepared for selected materials. Interim specifications for

manifold papers have been cleared through the American Society
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for Testing and Jfeterials (ASTM) . Specifications for bond

and ledger papers and for file folders are in progress in

the ASTM standardizing process.

There is an urgent need to establish permanence criteria

for papers that can be used in office copying machines. An

accelerated aging method is required for this. Other materials

that merit attention are inks, typewriter ribbons, carbon

paper, laminating film, mending tape, and binding materials.
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2. OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this program are as follows:

(1) The development of information on the stability of

paper and other record m.aterials.

(2) The development of test methods for the evaluation

of the stability of paper and other record materials.

(3) The development of specifications for materials

suited for permanent records.

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3. WORK IN PROGRESS

3 . 1 Accelerated Aging

No laboratory work on accelerated aging was performed

during the last six months. The last semi-annual report,

10 976, covering the period June 30-December 31, 1972, contained a discussion of accelerated aging of a special paper

filled with calcium carbonate in which the carboxyls were

covered with aluminum. A draft of a report on this work

was prepared, but it appears that more questions have been

raised by this work than have been answered. More work needs

to be done before a report can be written, and some of this

work is in progress. It is now perfectly clear than an

examination of naturally aged papers must be made in order

to provide information about the desirability of using dry

accelerated aging or moist accelerated aging.

3 . 2 Specifications for Manifold Paper for Permanent

Records

Specifications for manifold paper for permanent records

have cleared the standardization procedure of ASTM, and the

standard is designated as D 3208. This document now can be

used for procurement purposes.
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Three levels of permanence are described in the specification, and these permanence levels are differentiated

by pH or filler requirements. An alkaline filler is required

for paper with maximum permanence. A neutral sized paper is

specified for paper with high permanence. A medium permanence

paper requires a minimum pH of 5.5. A paper with maximum

permanence is expected to last several hundred years; a paper

with high permanence is expected to last in excess of 100

years; and a paper with medium permanence is expected to last

at least 50 years and up to 100 years.

This specification represents a milestone as it is the

first specification for permanent record papers developed by

an ASTM subcommittee. It must be considered an interim

specification until an accelerated aging method is developed.

3 . 3 Specifications for Bond and Ledger Papers for

Permanent Records

Interim specifications for bond and ledger papers have

cleared ASTM D-6.20, Subcommittee for Permanent Record Papers,

and have been ballotted by Committee D-6, Paper. Five negative

ballots were received. As soon as these are resolved, the

document can proceed through the ASTM standardizing process.

It is hoped that this will be completed within the next few

months
3 . 4 Specifications for File Folders for Storage of

Permanent Records

This draft specification was unanimously approved by

ASTM D~e.20, and has been sent to ASTM for ballot by Committee

D-6, Paper. It is hoped that this can be completed during

the next reporting period.

3 . 5 Evaluation of Office Copying Papers

Five years ago, the problem of specifying stability of

paper for office copies, at least on an interim basis, would

have been fairly simple. As only one principal copying

process at that time used ordinary uncoated paper, a specification could have been prepared for the paper alone. Now

there is a plethora of office copying processes, and accelerated aging must be part of the specifications for office

copv papers for permanent records. Some exploratory work

is in progress.

3 . 6 Cooperation with the Keuffel & Esser Company

A representative of the Keuffel & Esser Company,

Mrs. Catherine Feasenmyer, provided us about two years ago

with a collection of drawing and tracing papers dating back

to 1940. These papers had been tested, before and after

accelerated aging, in 1940 and again in 1960. We have now
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tested these papers again for Schopper folding endurance,

internal tearing resistance, DTA, and pH. A report has

been completed and distributed.

3 . 7 Evaluation of Papers Made in NBS Mill After 37

Years Natural Aging

In 1936, a number of book papers were made under carefully controlled conditions in the NBS paper mill. Samples

of these papers were tested before and after accelerated

aging for 72 hours at 100°C. These papers are especially

valuable as several groups of papers have the sam^e fiber

content with different quantities of filler, rosin, and al|im.

Some of the papers contain calcium carbonate as a filler.

It is not known at this time whether natural aging correlates

better with moist accelerated aging or dry accelerated aging.

It is hoped that the testing of these papers and the papers

mentioned in section 3.8 will help answer this question.

The testing is incomplete, but some information is

available

(1) Most of the samples retained 90 percent or more

of their initial tensile strength after 37 years natural

aging.

(2) Folding endurance is much more sensitive to

natural aging than tensile strength. Changes in folding

endurance apparently are not related to changes in tensile

strength
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(3) For a given group of papers (same fiber content),

folding endurance tends to decrease with (a) increasing wet

strength, (b) increasing alum content, and (c) decreasing pH.

(4) Within a given group of papers, pH is related to

permanence, but other variables in composition generally

override the effect of pH. v

3 . 8 Evaluation of Uncoated Book Papers After 10 Years

Natural Aging

About 10 years ago, a group of commercial uncoated book

papers were tested before and after accelerated aging under

humid conditions. Retesting of these papers is in progress.

This group included several papers containing neutral sulfite

semichemical (NSSC) pulp. Some preliminary conclusions are

as follows: "

{!) When changes in folding endurance after natural

aging are plotted against changes after accelerated aging,

a good correlation exists for the eight NSSC papers, but not

for the group of 20 papers.

(2) After 10 years natural aging, tensile strength

usually increased by a few percent. After humid accelerated

aging, tensile strength usually decreased by 10 to 20 percent.

The increase in tensile strength after natural aging may be

due to crosslinking
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(3) There may be some correlation between changes in

tensile strength and changes in folding endurance for accelerated aging, but not for natural aging.

3 . 9 Production of Acid During Accelerated Aging

Potentiometric titrations have been performed on various

kinds of handsheets before and after accelerated aging in

moist and in dry air at 90°C. Titratable acidity correlates

well with pH of the water extract. There appears to be

little difference in the amount of titrant as a function of

aging between pH 8 and pH 10, which suggests that lactones

are not involved in accelerated aging.

Further experiments are planned.
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4. METHODS OF EVALUATION OF NATURALLY AGED PAPERS

In previous NBS reports, several special methods of

evaluation were discussed in detail. It appears that zero

span tensile strength and wet tensile strength may be of

value in determining whether dry accelerated aging or moist

accelerated aging correlates with natural aging. A zero

span tester only recently was delivered, so these data must

be obtained on the papers mentioned under sections 3.7 and

3.8.
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5. STATUS OF REPORTS AND MANUSCRIPTS

5 . 1 Reports

(1) Development of Acidity During the Accelerated

Aging of Paper is in preparation.

(2) Accelerated Aging of Commercial Papers in Dry Air,

Compared with Natural Aging, NBSIR 73-155.

(3) The Accelerated Aging of Aluminum Treated Paper

Buffered at High pH. During the preparation of this report,

several questions were raised that require further attention.

This information requires further analysis, but it is likely

that more laboratory work will be necessary before the report

can be completed.

(4) Other reports: About 5 reports are in various

stages of preparation, but it_ would be premature to list

them.

5 . 2 Manuscripts

No manuscripts are in preparation at this time. Depending

on how the reporting is divided, there is the potential for

about 7 manuscripts for publication in professional journals.
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6. PLANS FOR THE PERIOD JULY 1-DECEMBER 31, 19 7 3

The following tasks should be completed by December 31,

1973. ^

(1) Specification for bond and ledger papers for

permanent records.

(2) Specification for file folders for storage of

permanent records

(3) Testing of papers made in the NBS paper mill 37

years ago .

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(4) Testing of the naturally aged papers that were

tested about 10 years ago. '

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In addition, exploratory work will be continued on the

evaluation of office copy papers.
FORM N8S-1 14a (I-7I

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U.S. DEPT. OF COMM. BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA

SHEET

1. PUBLICS HON OR REPORT NO. NBSIR 73-249

2. Gov't -Accession No.3. Recipient's -Accession .No.

4. TITLE -AND SUHTI rLF, 5. Publication Date Development of Specifications for Archival Record

Materials (Jan. 1-June 30, 1973) 6. f^tf forming Organization Code

7. AUTHOR(S)

W. K. Wilson and E. J. Parks

8. Performing Organization

NBSIR 73-249

10. Pro)ect/l ask/'V, ork Unit No. 3000442

9. PERFOR.MLNG ORGANIZATION NA.ME AND ADDRESS

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20234

11. Contract/Grant .\o.

12. Sponsoring Organization Name and Address National Archives and Records Service

Washington, D.C. 20408

13. Type of Report & Period Semi-annual

1/1 - 6/30/73

14. Sponsoring Agency Code

15. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

16. ABSIR.\CT ( A 200-word or less factual summary of most significant information. If document includes a significant

bibliography or literature survey, mention it here.)

« Progress for the last six months on a continuing program of

research on archival record materials for National Archives and

Records Service is described. Specifications for manifold papers

have been finalized through ASTM, and specifications for bond and

ledger papers and for file folders are in progress. A group of

papers made at the NBS paper mill 37 years ago and a group of

uncoated book papers tested 10 years ago are being retested to

evaluate changes due to natural aging.

17. KEY UORDS (Alphabetical order, separated by semicolons)

Accelerated aging; aging; evaluation; natural aging; paper;

testing

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