Research Projects
Current Projects
These projects support the strategic themes and goals of the current Heritage Science Research Strategy. If you have questions about any of these projects, please email them to: preservation@nara.gov.
Strategic Theme 1: Managing Risks and Building Resilience
Assessing Fading Risks Using Microfadometry (MFT)
The cultural heritage community needs to be able to evaluate the risk of light-induced fading of displayed records and objects. Since its inception, the microfade tester (MFT) has emerged as a tool to support data-driven display guidance and institutional policy development to mitigate display risk. MFTs are currently available with a variety of light sources. NARA is exploring the use of an LED (light-emitting diode) instrument and its applications supporting the development of lighting policy and design for materials that have unique past preservation, treatment, and display histories and also high significance for public access.
Evaluating Building Performance
Over the past 15 years NARA has cut energy consumption by 50% and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 30% at its Archives II facility, College Park, Maryland. At the same time, a model of deterioration rates indicates that improved storage environments have slowed the aging rate of the records by 30-50%. These outcomes were achieved as a result of a collaborative project between NARA Preservation Programs heritage scientists, NARA facility staff and building engineers. The project was informed by recent environmental management research and explored energy savings through systematic shutdowns of HVAC systems coupled with pollutant filtration testing to monitor any increase in pollutant levels. Similar evaluations will be carried out at other NARA facilities to optimize environmental management operations for improved environmental performance and storage environments.
Characterization of Thermal Recording Media (ThermofaxTM): 1950-1970
Thermal recording media dating from the 1950s – 1970s, including ThermofaxTM, may be inherently unstable. Understanding the inherent properties of these media from different generations of manufacture is necessary to predict the rates at which they will change, determine the leading causes of media degradation and suggest risk mitigation strategies to prevent irretrievable losses of information. These questions will be investigated by analyzing the image forming chemistry, acidity levels of the paper support, media configuration, and the response to different types of selected conservation treatments. Light sensitivity will also be assessed using micro-fading technology. The results of this investigation will facilitate the development and optimization of preservation and conservation protocols for NARA holdings on thermography media including when reformatting the record to preserve content is recommended.
Strategic Theme 2: Integrating Research into Policy and Practice
Investigating the Materiality of the Charters of Freedom: Exploiting the Potential of Proteomic Analysis
This project will investigate proteomic analysis techniques to determine the substrates used for the Charters of Freedom. When the Charters were extensively examined in 2003, miniscule parchment samples were collected and analyzed. Developments in proteomic methods since then may allow the same samples to be used to determine the source and possibly the species of the animal skin. This information will help to answer frequent questions about how the Charters were made.
The data gathered from this study will be useful for scholars who are beginning to exploit proteomic analysis, as well as inspiring further innovative approaches to analyzing and preserving NARA’s holdings.
Technical Analysis of Ansel Adams Photographs
Included in NARA’s vast photographic holdings are some 200 images created by the renowned American photographer Ansel Adams. This project will use advanced non-destructive techniques to investigate the materials and techniques Adams used while employed by the US Government Department of Interior to photograph the National Parks, Indian Reservations, and related sites.
XRF instrumentation will determine the elemental composition, while a fiber optic FTIR probe will establish the presence of coatings and the level of gelatin degradation if present. The collected data will be compared to other published descriptions of Adams’ printing techniques and will help to inform preservation of these records.
Preserving through Reversing: Case Study of Desilking First Congress Manuscripts
Documents from the earliest days of our country’s history have long been recognized for their value to researchers and historians. Methods to ensure their preservation through the years have been applied then rethought as scientific research supports different strategies. One such method was silking: adhering a thin sheet of translucent fabric to the document to provide increased strength and flexibility. However, over time, preservation professionals have found that silking can have deleterious consequences, including embrittlement and obscuring of text. Scientific analysis conducted before and after the reversal treatment, will further develop understanding of historical silking processes as well as characterize the paper and media of the documents, their aging, and how they respond to the reversal process. This collaborative project combines science, conservation, and historical context to explore the history and techniques of silking and its long-term effects on paper and media, and aims to optimize gelatin resizing procedures for the documents after desilking.
Strategic Theme 3: Adopting, Adapting and Implementing
Evaluation of Cellulose Nanofibril Sponges for Removal of Rubber-Based Pressure Sensitive Tapes
While cellulose fibers are used to manufacture paper, cellulose nanofibers are much smaller and unusually light, strong, and absorbent. Their unique properties are being applied in numerous fields, including new products to aid in recovery from oil spills. In collaboration with researchers and conservators, this project will build on published research and explore how nanofibril ‘sponges’ can be adopted and adapted for use in conservation treatments. These sponges have the potential to hold a large quantity of non-polar solvents, which can then be carefully dispensed to effectively reduce or remove rubber-based pressure sensitive tape repairs present in many paper-based collections.
Characterization and Comparison of Warm Climate Mending Papers Used in Conservation Treatments
Hand-made traditional papers created from paper mulberry trees native to cold climates, such as those found in Japan or Korea, have long been used as mending papers for conservation treatments. Due to the shortage of raw fibers from cold climates and new economic trends, fibers produced from warm climate trees are often now being substituted for cold climate papers. Many conservation labs have started using these warm climate mending papers, but there have been few studies aging and comparing the mending papers made from warm climate fibers to those that have historically come from cold climates. This collaborative project between heritage science and conservation will compare papers made from cold climate fibers to papers made from fibers grown in warm and temperate climates. Color changes upon aging, surface pH, and chemical composition of the papers will be examined.
Developing a test for materials that induce yellowing of digital prints
Many cultural heritage institutions have observed that certain digital printing media, especially microporous coated paper designed for inkjet printing, can show unexpected yellowing in a short period, even in dark storage. Many factors have been investigated, such as stain migration, interactions with volatile species surrounding the print, and damage to the optical whitening agents in the media, among others. Some research has shown that phenolic compounds can contribute, which have been a major concern in the textile industry for decades. This collaborative research intends to use inspiration from test methods developed for textiles as a launching point to create a sensitive test method that may be able to detect harmful compounds such as, but not limited to, phenolic compounds in enclosure or mounting materials. Ideally, any developed tests could easily integrate into the current ISO standard for the photographic activity test (ISO 18916) to facilitate adoption across the field.
An Investigation into Diatomaceous Earth Stones: A New Tool in Paper Conservation
The field of conservation tries to develop more sustainable practices. Being able to reuse materials to minimize environmental impact is desirable. The Heritage Science and Conservation Labs at the National Archives have been exploring the use of diatomaceous earth stone mats (aka DE stones) for safe use around paper-based records. These rigid absorbent boards with smooth surfaces are made of diatomaceous earth, a natural sedimentary rock mined around the world. While DE stones are marketed for home use, this research will use analytical methods and practical testing to determine if this commercially manufactured product could be used as a safe, sustainable alternative to current paper drying applications. A validation study using Whatman paper will be followed by more media specific studies, including photographs, to determine if the stones are safe for wider conservation applications.
Past Projects
Platinum Palladium Photographic Ghost Image Research Project
NARA conservators and conservation scientists investigated a ‘ghostly’ phenomenon that occurs in some of NARA’s photographic prints. Images that contain platinum or palladium metal can create detailed mirror images of the original image, called a ghost, on adjacent paper as a result of direct contact with the photograph. Platinum and palladium photographs are considered to be among the most permanent photographs, yet the common ghost image suggests that some reaction between the metal nanoparticles and cellulose, or cellulose degradation products, occurs during aging. An accelerated aging procedure was developed that successfully created ghost images in the laboratory – this is believed to be the first time ghosts were formed in the lab. Historic photographs with historic ghosts and induced ghosts on historic non-collection photographs, as well as modern platinum photographs of various known recipes and processing conditions were studied to investigate the mechanism of the ghost image phenomenon. Analytical techniques (FTIR, XRF, XPS, SEM, TOF-SIMS, DART) were explored in collaboration with scientists at neighboring institutions and other government agencies. The NARA team presented their preliminary findings on this topic at the Platinum and Palladium Photography Symposium hosted by the Foundation of the America Institute for Conservation in collaboration with the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, National Gallery of Art, Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. This research was published in Platinum and Palladium Photographs: Technical History, Connoisseurship and Preservation. ed. C. McCabe, American Institute for Conservation (2017).
Heat and Solvent Set Repair Tissues
For decades, pre-coated heat and solvent set tissues have been the preferred method for mending certain types of library and archival materials due to their translucency and ability to be used without introducing moisture. In recent years, the commercial adhesives long used to make these tissues became unavailable. The National Archives and Library of Congress conducted a multi-year, interagency collaboration to research new heat and solvent set repair tissues for mending paper-based records.
The tested adhesives included Lascaux 498 HV, Lascaux 303 HV, Avanse MV-100, Plextol B500, Aquazol 200 and Aquazol 500. Tissues prepared with these adhesives were applied to paper and silver-based photographic substrates using both solvent and heat set methods. The samples were analyzed for color change, reversibility after artificial aging, and ‘blocking’ after natural aging and under pressure. The findings showed that the method of application - heat or solvent - did not affect aging or testing results. The color of the Avanse/Plextol adhesive tissues changed during testing. Several of the Lascaux 498 HV and Lascaux 303 HV dilutions passed testing, and the Aquazol 200 and 500 tissues also passed testing.
The joint work was published in the Journal of the American Institute for Conservation.
Non-Destructive Analysis of 14th-19th Century European Handmade Papers
Non-destructive analysis of 1,578 paper specimens (14th-19th century) was undertaken to better understand changes in paper composition over time and how these variations affect paper stability during natural ageing. Gelatin content and color were determined using UV/Vis/NIR spectrometry. Residual metals were measured using XRF. The analyzed components included potassium and sulfur as elements indicative of alum concentration; iron as a typical paper contaminant; and calcium, which is often associated with compounds such as calcium carbonate used as alkaline reserves.
The research demonstrated that papers lighter in color (closer to white) are associated with higher levels of gelatin and calcium, and lower levels of iron. The study also showed significant decreases in gelatin and calcium concentration over time, with the largest differences coinciding with the rise of printing around 1500. The drop in pH of paper over the centuries, observed by many in the research community, is explained by the decreases in these two components rather than by a rise in alum concentration, which remained fairly stable. The research showed that better quality paper that aged well was associated with higher gelatin and calcium concentrations and color closer to white. Poorer quality papers that aged more rapidly were associated with higher iron levels and greater thickness. This work was published in Restaurator.