Non-destructive Characterization of Paper Artifacts in Conservation Treatments A critical minireview Maja Kostadinovska Conservation and Restoration Laboratory National and University Library “St. Clement of Ohrid” Skopje, Macedonia Abstract—The state of historical artifacts is exacerbated by physical, chemical and biological interactions with the environment. In the absence of appropriate intervention in order to halt or slow down the deterioration these processes can result in a number of negative consequences, starting from incorrect "reading" of an artwork up to its complete loss. Hence, it follows that the detailed knowledge of the composition and structure of the materials must be a fundamental indicator in determining of successfull and long-lasting methods of conservation and restoration. Current scientific research аre making appropriate contributions to the preservation of the cultural heritage, though, for the most part, they are dedicated to improve analytical techniques for the evaluation and identification of the causes of the degradation processes as well as to the development of new methods for effective and safe restoration. Such research is particularly challenging due to the fact that historical objects are unique and irreplaceable to which non-invasive analytical approach must be applied or, at least, to use techniques by taking micro-samples. This analytical review considers the application of non-destructive and micro-chemical methods for preliminary testing - analysis before the treatment of conservation/restoration - of materials used in the preparation of paper artifacts. Keywords- cultural heritage, paper, micro-chemical tests, ATR- FTIR and micro-Raman spectroscopy I. INTRODUCTION Cultural heritage plays an important role in the formation of a sense of identity of each community. It unites people around common values and allows them to share collective history. Therefore, proper care is needed to ensure its value and enjoyment for his possession for decades to come. Our history is written on paper and it is the most important carrier of our culture, language, science and religion, but we are facing a constant increase in the urgency of the situation to preserve artifacts made of paper before they are lost forever. Paper as an invention dates back nearly 2,000 years ago in Egypt [1] and started the revolution in communication. In the digital age of the 21st century, our reliance on paper as a means of information declines sharply. Smartphones, tablets or electronic paper displays as those of the Amazon Kindle become the norm for everything from theater tickets to the best-selling books. However, paper as a support for writing and drawing, even after two millennia of its discovery, is still one of the most durable data carrier. In contrast, the life of the modern electronic data storage devices reaches up to a few decades; and even shorter is the lifetime of the software required to process and read electronic information [2]. The chemistry is in the center of preservation of the paper, but as a science Paper Conservation is a relatively new field. Paper materials that are protected in a laboratory for conservation and restoration includes: manuscripts, old-print books, rare and specific library materials, but also paper in form as archive materials, maps and atlases, prints, drawings and other works on paper. Different ways of treatment of these materials are available in the laboratory, such as: hand and machine conservation and restoration, reparation and conservation with synthetic folios, lamination and other methods such as dry and wet cleaning, disinfection and neutralization. Before each treatment an examination of the object, which is subject to conservation and/or restoration, must be done. Determining the solubility of the inks based on the experience of conservators within the laboratory (subjective approach) must be replaced by finding and applying more precise methods and techniques (objective approach). In this segment, the methods implemented should investigate the composition of the paper (type of fiber - natural, synthetic, etc.) including the remaining components of the object (binders, fillers, pigments, additives etc.), which can cause decomposition of the work in terms of external physical, chemical and biological influences. Conservators do inventory and provide a written proposal with recommended treatment of the object. Often at this stage it is required to give an explanation of the possible options and discussion for their implication. The choice of treatment will depend on several factors, including the condition of the artifact, its aesthetic or historical content, the anticipated outcome of treatment and its future use. Scientific research, particularly in the field of paper artifacts, is used recently by conservators because they represent novelty and in order to in trend with events in this field, but also in many cases to test analytical instrumental techniques of matrices that are different from the classic ones (e.g. wastewater, contaminated soil, etc.) [3]. Nowadays, with the advancement of instrumental spectroscopic techniques and the publication of solid literature covered in recent reviews [4, 5], these types of scientific research is a common practice in many museums, libraries and other institutions dedicated to the The 3 rd Virtual Multidisciplinary Conference December, 7. - 11. 2015, www.quaesti.com History and Archaeology eISSN: 2453-7144, cdISSN: 1339-5572 10.18638/quaesti.2015.3.1.215 - 184 - ISBN: 978-80-554-1170-5