Deacidification plant
Pointing the way and future-oriented
Our employees carefully pack the books and documents to be treated into suitable treatment baskets at your location. This happens under retention of the signature sequence.
Different basket sizes are available for the treatment, depending on the format of the documents. From removal to replacement, the printed matter passes through the treatment process well-protected in these baskets. Palletised and wrapped with a protective cover, the baskets are now ready for transport to our facility.
Once the baskets of books and archives arrive at our facility, they are weighed and every basket is registered with a bar code before being positioned on the treatment racks. The documents are pushed into the treatment chamber directly on these racks.
Now, the pre-drying process begins. In a vacuum, a gentle and controlled heating process reduces the moisture content of the paper. This makes the paper particularly absorbent for the impregnation step that comes next.
Finally, the chamber is filled with a non-aqueous treatment solution. The solution is made up of magnesium and titanium alcoholates (METE30) dissolved in hexamethylene disiloxane (HMDO). The treatment solution is non-toxic, environmentally friendly, and compatible with all books and archival materials. During the approximately 20 minute impregnation period, the vacuum ensures that the treatment solution penetrates the paper very evenly and completely. This transfers the neutralising agents into the paper.
Once the treatment solution is drained from the chamber, a number of rinse and drying cycles take place. In the process, the solvents evaporate out of the paper in a vacuum. The condensate is recycled. The deacidifying substances remain in the paper.
For the duration of the entire treatment, the technical equipment is under the control of our employees and the documents are constantly monitored.
Our modern system control allows to steer all process steps individually as well as to adjust temperature and duration optimally on the paper quality.
In addition, the precise recordings of the process data permit conclusions on the procedures which are used for the constant optimisation of treatment quality.
Active reconditioning is a unique quality of our process. Under controlled conditions, the moisture removed prior to the impregnation process is re-introduced. In this step of the process, a moist air current passes through a specially designed chamber, triggering a complex neutralisation reaction.
This takes place at a steady rate over a period of three to four weeks and ensures optimal homogeneity and a thorough treatment. This process minimises the potential risk of deposits to the greatest extent possible and makes our process unique in the industry.
After a total treatment period of five weeks the customer gets the deacidified goods back with a reception inspection certificate.
Retention of the signature sequence guarantees the return of the deacidified goods without problems.