Use of bacterial cellulose in paper document restoration

The effectiveness of the bacterial cellulose suspension Komagataeibacter (Gluconacetobacter) rhaeticus in the restoration of documents on paper using the aerodynamic method is shown. One of the problems in document restoration on paper using the method of replacing lost parts of a document is the strength of the seam between the document to be restored and the replacing part. To increase the strength of the seam the document is treated with binders – solutions of sodium salt of carboxymethylcellulose or starch on the contour of the loss. In this study, a suspension of bacterial cellulose Komagataeibacter (Gluconacetobacter) rhaeticus was used as a binder for the restoration by aerodynamic molding. In order to create a strong bonding seam between the restored document and the replenishing fibrous layer, a suspension of bacterial cellulose with a concentration of 1.0 ± 0.1 wt. %, previously prepared in a disintegrator, was applied along the contour of the lost document. The use of bacterial cellulose as a binder in the aerodynamic method of restoration led to an increase in the strength of the formed seam by 1.5-2.0 times compared to the use of starch solutions and sodium salt of carboxymethylcellulose as a binder. Artificial heat-moist aging of the document after restoration for 12 days showed that the suture strength decreased after the first three days of aging by 32% and then stabilized. This makes it possible to predict good preservation of the restored document during further archival storage and use. With the help of «Vestigium» software designed to study the monuments of writing by analyzing their digital images, it is shown that the relief of the document sheets surface after restoration becomes smoother, which reduces the possibility of deep penetration of dust into the sheet structure and increases the life of the document.

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