Enzyme Degradation and Mechanical Damage
Enzymes are protein catalysts coded for
by that very newsworthy molecule, DNA, and assembled from amino acids in the ribosomes
of living cells. Enzymes such as endoglucanases and cellobiohydrolase can
cleave the bonds connecting the cellulose chain at any link. This subject is
really beyond the scope of our discussion, but if you are interested in
additional information, your local paper conservator will be able to answer any
questions you may have. Mechanical damage can result in splayed, split or
broken fibers which can weaken paper just as surely as bond cleavage between
the rings in the cellulose chain. Remember, the longer the chain, the stronger
and less mobile the structure. The hydrogen atoms are forced into a plane close
to the oxygen molecules and the hydrogen and oxygen atoms connecting the sheets
are able to form better hydrogen bonds. For essentially the same reasons, the
strength of Van der Waals force connecting the sheets into layers is maximized.
This is the reason you should request a paper with high strength and durability
even when it seems unimportant for your particular requirement. Say, for
example, you are trying to choose a thick, stiff paperboard for use in making
cloth wrapped book boxes. Perceived stiffness is basically a function of
thickness, but a thick board constructed from multiple plys of paper with high
physical strength characteristics, such as high folding endurance and tear
resistance, will be manufactured from good, long fibers. This board will be
much more resistant to damage over an extended period of time, and not be as
likely to harbor acids from bonds broken by hydrolysis (see illustrations 10
through 13) that can migrate to historical paper artifacts stored within it.