Effectiveness of Solvents in the Treatment Library and Archival Materials

To examine changes in visual, physical and chemical characteristics of paper samples treated by stain removing solvents
Method/Research Design: A sample of standard Whatman paper was stained with adhesives, fat and ink, then solvents such as carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethylene, acetone, ethanol and methanol were administered to remove the stains. Finally, the degree of physical and chemical changes on the samples was measured.
Findings: Trichloroethylene was found to be the most suitable solvent as the degree of damage to the paper was the lowest. For removing ink stains, ethanol and methanol were equally effective. Acetone was the best solvent for removing adhesive stains with less harm to the paper than carbon tetrachloride. Methanol was good in removing adhesive stains, however, we saw residual solvent in SEM and the adhesive effects were not completely removed.