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Specifications for Board Stock, Buffered, for the Storage of Artifacts

Specification Number 300-300-7/8/02

This specification is provided as a public service by the Preservation Directorate of the Library of Congress. Any commercial reproduction that implies endorsement of a product, service or materials, in any publication, is strictly prohibited by law. This Specification is written for L.C. purchasing purposes and is subject to change when necessary.

I. General Specifications - II. Product Requirements - III. Inspection


I. GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

A. Stock Composition

  1. Pulp:
    • Fiber: The stock should be made from rag or other high alpha-cellulose content pulp. It must not contain any post consumer waste recycled pulp.
    • Lignin:The stock must give a negative reading for lignin as determined by the phloroglucinol test when tested according to ASTM D 1030, X5 spot stains and shall have a Kappa number of 5 or less when tested according to TAPPI T 236 cm-85.
    • Impurities: The stock must be free of metal particles, waxes, plasticizers, residual bleach, peroxide, sulfur (which will be less than 0.0008% reducible sulfur as determined by TAPPI T 406 om-88), and other components that could lead to the degradation of the paper and artifacts stored therein.
    • Metallic Impurities: Iron must not exceed 150 ppm and copper shall not exceed 6 ppm when test according to TAPPI T 266.
    • Optical Brighteners: The stock must be free of optical brightening agents.
  2. pH:
    The stock should have a pH value within a range of 8.0 - 9.5 as determined by TAPPI T 509 om-88, cold extraction (modified by slurrying sample pulp before measurement).
  3. Alkaline Reserve:
    The alkaline reserve should be a minimum of 2% and a maximum of 5% calculated as CaCO3 when tested according to ASTM 4988-89.
  4. Sizing:
    Only neutral or alkaline sizing shall be used. No alum rosin or rosin sizing should be used as determined by ASTM D 549-88.
  5. Thickness and Basis Weight
    40 pt. board: the minimum basis weight should be 550 lb./3,000 ft2.
    60 pt. board: the minimum basis weight should be 800 lb./3,000 ft2.
  6. Color:
    The color of the stock will normally be tan, cream, buff or will be specified on the purchase order. The color must not be so dark that it obscures color-dependent test evaluations.
    Bleeding: The color must show no bleeding when soaked in distilled water for 48 hours while held under suitable weight in contact with white bond paper. The color must not rub off.
    Retention: The color of the stock must not change more than 5 points of brightness as measured by directional reflectance at 457 nm (TAPPI T 452 om-92), when exposed 24 hours to a Xenon arc lamp in an Atlas Weatherometer under the following conditions: Irradiance Level: 1.0 watts/m2 at 420 nm. Inner filter: Borosilicate glass. Outer filter: clear soda lime glass. Black panel temperature: 50°C. Wet bulb depression: 8.5°C.
  7. Surfaces:
    The surfaces of the stock must be free of fingerprints, dirt, bubbles, knots, shives and other abrasive particles.
  8. Creases of Folds:
    The stock should not fray, crack or split when folded and/or creased.
  9. Abrasion:
    The outer surfaces of the stock must show a loss of less than 2% of the total weight (mounting card and sample) when tested with a #CS10 wheel and 100 wear cycles according to TAPPI T 476 om-84.
  10. Stiffness:
    Stiffness will be evaluated according to TAPPI 489 om-86, after conditioning by TAPPI method T 402 om-88.
    40 pt. board must have a minimum internal stiffness of 2,800 Taber units in the machine direction and 800 in the cross direction.
    60 pt. board must have a minimum internal stiffness of 5,600 Taber units in the machine direction and 2,500 in the cross direction.
    Values less than the required minimum will be considered a failure.
  11. Adhesive:
    If an adhesive is required, it must not soften, run, cause the stock to become transparent or alter the color of the stock. The adhesive must not yellow, discolor, or fail (causing delamination) over time. When used, the adhesive must not extend beyond the joined area.
  12. Planar Distortion:
    There must be minimal planar distortion upon visual inspection.

B. Workmanship

Edges will be cut square and clean, and sizes accurate.

C. Identification


There should be no identification marks on the board.

D. Packaging

  1. Inner Wrapper:
    I.D.: Each package must plainly identify the type, size and number of items within, the name of the supplier or manufacturer, year of manufacture, manufacturing run or batch number and actual pH.
  2. Outer Wrapper:
    The items must be packed in standard commercial containers which are constructed to ensure that they arrive at the Library of Congress in dry, undamaged condition.
    I.D.: The outside of each container must be identified by type, size and number of items within, manufacturing run or batch number and Purchase Order number or Contract number.

E. Testing

  1. Responsibility:
    The supplier is responsible for meeting all the requirements specified herein. The Library of Congress has the right to perform any of the tests set forth in the specification where such tests are deemed necessary to ensure that supplies conform to prescribed requirements.
  2. Sampling:
    To sample for testing, shipments will be sampled according to MIL-STD-105E at inspection level S-2 with an acceptable quality level of 2.5 percent defective from each lot offered. Copies of MIL-STD-105E are available from Naval Publications and Forms Center, Standardization Document Order Department, Building 4, Section D, 700 Robbins Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111-5094.
  3. Methods:
    Tests will be conducted in accordance with specified test methods of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), and the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI). Publications describing these tests may be ordered directly from the technical associations at the following address:
    • ANSI, 1430 Broadway, New York, NY 10018
    • ASTM, 1916 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
    • TAPPI, One Dunwoody Park, Atlanta, GA 30348
  4. Tests:
    Requirements
    		 Test Method
    Lignin: negative/Kappa 5 ASTM D 1030, X5 or TAPPI 236 cm-85
    Reducible Sulfur: < 0.0008% TAPPI T 406 om-88
    Iron: < 150 ppm TAPPI T266
    Copper: < 6 ppm TAPPI T266
    pH: 8.0 - 9.5 pH TAPPI T 509 om-88. cold extraction, slurried pulp
    Alkaline Reserve: 2 - 5% ASTM D 4988-89
    Alum Rosin Sizing: negative. ASTM D 549-88
    Basis Weight: 40 pt: 550 lbs./3,000 ft2
    60 pt: 800 lbs./3,000 ft2    		 TAPPI 410 om-93
    Color Bleeding: none See above, "I. 6. Color"
    Color Retention: < 5 points TAPPI T 452 om-92
    Abrasion < 2% TAPPI 476 om-84
    Stiffness 40 pt: 2,800 MD/800 CD Taber units
    60 pt: 5,600 MD/2,500 CD Taber units     		TAPPI 489 om-86

F. Quality Assurance Inspection

  1. Sampling:
    To evaluate non-tested requirements, shipments will be sampled according to MIL-STD-105E at inspection level S-2 with an acceptable quality level of 4.0 percent defective from each lot offered.

II. PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS: Board Stock, Buffered, for the Storage of Artifacts

There are no additional product requirements.

III. INSPECTION: Board Stock, Buffered, for the Storage of Artifacts

An examination will be made to determine whether the items comply with all requirements. The qualities and characteristics which will be examined include the following.

Testing Inspection

Visual Inspection

FAILURE TO MEET ANY OF THE SPECIFICATIONS WILL BE CAUSE FOR REJECTION.