1.Background and Goal of the present work Paper materials are mainly of vegetative origin and contain cellulose and lignin as major structural constituents. Due to the deterioration by acid catalyzed hydrolysis, degradation of lignin, microbial and insect attacks, the material becomes brittle, frag- ile and discoloured and hence reinforcement is required in order to preserve the ar- chaeological and cultural value as well as the knowledge contained. Out of numerous techniques developed for paper conservation, gamma radiation in- duced graft copolymerization technique developed by the British Library in 1980s, possessed unique features of the possibility of internal grafting by the high penetra- tion power of gamma radiation, no remaining toxic residues and suitability to bulk and routine applications. Since resins and monomers with reactive unsaturated bonds, predominate in radiation curing techniques, acrylic monomers and unsaturated poly- ester/styrene mixtures widely utilized in conservation of organic materials. The present study is focused on the potential of utilizing inexpensive and readily available commercial alkyd resin for the reinforcement of naturally aged paper by gamma radiation induced graft copolymerization. 2. Experimental procedure 2.1. Analysis of the alkyd resin Commercial grade resin with undisclosed composition was utilized for the study and so it was analyzed for: Fatty acid composition Unsaponifiable matter content – ISO 6744-3 Material identification by GC-MS and FT-IR Physical properties (Viscosity, hardness, gloss & drying time) - in compliance with the standards used in the paint industry 2.2 Treatment of naturally aged paper The naturally aged paper samples were treated with chemical formulations containing mixtures with variable concentrations of alkyd resin and methyl methacrylate (MMA) and mixtures with variable concentrations of alkyd resin and styrene, followed by irra- diation. Gamma radiation dose of 15 kGy (at a dose rate of 0.33 kGy/hr) was utilized for the study, in order to achieve complete polymerization with minimum radiation damage to paper material. 2.3 Characterization of treated paper In order to determine the effectiveness of treatment, the samples were subjected to: Gravimetric measurement - to determine the polymer deposition yield Visual examination – to identify the alterations Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Tensile strength - ISO 1924-2: 2008 Tearing resistance - ISO 1974: 2012 Water Absorbency - Total immersion method 3. Results and Discussion 3.1. Alkyd resin composition Oleic acid (C18:1) and Linoleic acid (C18:2) were identified as the major unsaturated fatty acids and they account for 49.2% and 7.5% of mass of extracted oil fraction of alkyd resin respectively. The resin contained 4.9% (w/w) of unsaponifiable matter. Number of aromatic compounds including phthalic anhydride, O-xylene, naphtha- lenes and ethyl and methyl benzenes were identified from the GC-MS. FT-IR peaks were in consistence with that of typical alkyd resin. 3.2 Physical properties of alkyd resin 3.3. Characterization of treated paper A positive correlation was observed between the polymer deposition yield and the res- in concentration, irrespective of the type of monomer. Testing Parameter Results Viscosity 240 s Hardness Passed Gloss 20° 25.3 60° 66.3 Drying time Surface (hrs) 2 Hard (hrs) 24 Alteration to the appearance of the treated paper samples was observed for higher al- kyd resin concentrations (30% and 40%) in both monomer solutions and hence Resin concentration of 20% was adopted for physical property evaluation. Comparison of SEM images of the control with the treated (20% of alkyd resin in MMA - Normal atmosphere) paper sample has been illustrated below and morphological changes indicate the sucess of graft copolymerization process. Comparison of SEM images of the control (top) with the treated (20% of alkyd resin in MMA) (bottom) Compared to the control, significant improveme