Effects of Aging and Solvent Treatments on some Properties of Contemporary Tracing Papers

Abstract

Contemporary tracing papers, also referred to as transparent or translucent papers, are produced by specially formulated furnish compositions and manufacturing formation processes that can make these papers reactive to solvents used in conservation treatments. An initial study to indicate areas of interest for further work was conducted. Four research projects were designed to determine (1) the various compositions and properties, (2) the degradative effects of aging, (3) some effects of solvents and techniques used for stain reduction and (4) humidification and flattening of contemporary tracing papers. Contemporary tracing papers can be characterized as transparentized either by fiber processing (overbeaten natural tracing papers) or by sheet processing, using either acid immersion (vegetable parchment papers); supercalendering (imitation parchment papers); or coating (vellum or prepared tracing papers). Although research is not yet complete, findings for this study indicated that aging resulted in the greatest change in color, opacity, and strength for a natural tracing paper sample, while solvent treatments resulted in the greatest increase in opacity in a prepared tracing paper, and humidification treatments resulted in the greatest gloss, transmission, and dimensional changes in an imitation parchment paper.