Ancient parchment examination by surface investigation methods

A restoring process was set up to restore flexibility, size, and shape in n aturally aged or fire-damaged parchments of old manuscripts. Validation of such a process requires the measurement of intrinsic parchment properties a nd comparison of them before and after the treatment, To this aim, we inves tigated morphological, mechanical, and surface physico-chemical properties of parchment by taking SEM pictures and characterizing small samples by mic roindentation, mercury porosimetry, and water vapor adsorption/desorption i sotherms. (C) 2000 Academic Press.