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Project description Libraries, archives and museums worldwide are faced with the immense problem of preserving countless paper documents, endangered by the corrosive properties of iron gall ink. InkCor project aims to significantly improve the present know-how of the phenomenon of ink corrosion and establish best conservation practices for iron gall ink containing documents, enabling their preservation and undisturbed access. To accomplish this, historical ink recipes will be surveyed, while inks in original documents will be chemically analysed and relative corrosive properties of their components identified. In addition to instrumental techniques, simple tests, which could be used on originals within conservation workshops will be developed, thus allowing conservators to reliably identify corrosive iron gall inks. Based on the knowledge gained on the ink components and their corrosive properties, a non-aqueous conservation method will be developed. The new treatment will be based on a combined action of alkali and antioxidants, appropriate for mass- and individual item conservation, treatment of bound volumes and water sensitive items. A conservation method will be extensively evaluated for its use on mass scale and individual item treatments within conservation workshops. Objectives
Expected impact The newly acquired knowledge about oxidative degradation of cellulose, its assessment through extensive use of analytical techniques, its stabilisation by a combination of improved non-aqueous deacidification and antioxidants developed during the InkCor project will enable the stabilisation of kilometres of shelves of iron gall ink containing documents, currently awaiting the development of a suitable treatment. Consequently, InkCor will allow for better use of the existing resources, as well as aid in the development of new markets for novel services. |