Cellulose-Graphene Bifunctional Paper Conservation Materials: For Reinforcement and UV Aging Protection

Abstract

Paper artifacts have unique cultural and historical values. However, over time, many paper artifacts appear with disease characteristics such as embrittlement and photoaging, losing the most fundamental function of the literature archive. The reinforcement handling of degraded paper artifacts is, therefore, a necessary measure to extend their service life, the key to which lies in the reinforcement and prevention of photoaging. This paper intended to use graphene oxide (GO) as a UV protective agent, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as a reinforcement, and polyethyleneimine (PEI) as a modifier. In this work, the amino-modified graphene oxide carboxymethyl cellulose composite (CMC-aGO) was prepared by chemical modification, which was used as bifunctional paper protection material with anti-ultraviolet and reinforcement. It showed excellent performance in both tensile strength testing and UV resistance testing. The CMC-aGO raw material is low cost, colorless, transparent, simple to synthesize, convenient to operate, and is an excellent conservation material with dual functions of UV aging protection and paper reinforcement.