Re: pH of Paper

Steve Avery (stevea@sedal.usyd.edu.AU)
Mon, 27 May 1996 12:32:03 +1000

This message bounced. The originator is Bas van Velzen
(eland@knoware.nl). Please direct private email in that direction (not
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------------------------<included message follows>----------------------

> From: eland@knoware.nl (Bas van Velzen)
> Date: Sat, 25 May 1996 10:19:49 +0100
> Subject: Re: pH of Paper

>
> Distilled water is acidic by nature of dissolved carbon dioxide
> forming carbonic acid. 70 grams of mildly acidic water would have
> some effect on the pH of one gram of paper, I would think, unless one
> only wants to know whether the paper is simply acidic (residual acids
> from paper manufacturing) or alkaline (such as buffered with calcium
> carbonate). The point here is that if the paper were perfectly neutral
> (pH 7), after soaking in distilled water for an hour you would get an
> acidic pH reading.
>
> Don't believe everything you read.
>
> John

That is the reason to do a, destructive, warm extraction test: the
carbon dioxide will be out of the way because of the cooking.I will look
up the proper procedure and get it to the list.

Bas

Jonge Eland papierrestauratie
eland@knoware.nl
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VeRes (Dutch Association of Professional Restorers)
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