Research has pointed to one solution after another, but nothing has worked very well. Deacidification helped, but it did not stop the corrosion. In recent years, however, conservation scientists and others may have found a way to arrest the destruction of paper and parchment by iron-gall ink. It may involve only one compound, such as magnesium phytate or sodium phytate, that appears to be able to inhibit both hydrolysis and oxidation. The effect of copper on paper has also been investigated recently, but there has not been as much progress.
Many metals can affect the permanence of paper, or interfere with the paper manufacturing process.
Zinc, cobalt and barium are also found in wood sometimes. In the mill, metals can come from the supply water, or build up as a result of corrosion. It takes only a very small amount of iron or other metal to have an effect, because when it acts as a catalyst it is not used up. However, not all metals are harmful. Zinc, magnesium, calcium and barium compounds have all been used for deacidification.