Revised Specifications for Uncoated Permanent/Durable Book Paper.

To aid in the evaluation of the physical qualities of books, specifications for permanent/durable book paper were developed and authenticated. Permanent/durable book paper was defined as paper suitable for use in the manufacture of books that meets or exceeds tests which demonstrate that it has an expectation of useful life under normal storage conditions of not less than 500 years. The literature was studied for material on factors affecting the longevity of paper and methods of testing permanence and durability. The resulting specifications include the minimum cold extraction pH, folding endurance, tear resistance, and retention of folding endurance after aging. Twenty commercially-available paper were tested by the study's methods. The test results are given in tabular form. A 211-item bibliography is appended. (Author/PF)