Research on Deacidification Treatment for Addressing the Acidification Crisis of Map Archives

Abstract. Map archives, serving as crucial cultural heritage documenting historical spatial information, face severe challenges in long-term preservation. To evaluate the feasibility of deacidification technology in the conservation of map archives, this study utilized 41 severely acidified early 20th-century map archives as samples. These were treated using a specific non-aqueous deacidification technology, and changes in pH value, color difference (ΔE), and inks stability before and after treatment were analyzed. The results indicate that after deacidification, the paper pH value significantly increased from an average of 4.48 to a range between 8.24 and 8.87. The color change was minimal, with an average color difference ΔE of only 1.62. This study verifies that the deacidification technology is suitable and effective for the deacidification treatment of acidified paper-based map archives, providing a safe and reliable method for preserving their cultural value.