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Spinoff story
Space Technology for Book Preservation
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
The Library of Congress has patented a process to extend book life. It is called vapor phased deacidification, and involves use of DEZ, a chemical vapor which neutralizes acid and deposits an alkaline reserve on book pages. As the process must be done in an airless environment, the library utilized Goddard Space Flight Center's vacuum chamber for deacidification. The chamber can treat 5,000 books at once, and a new facility is planned. The Library plans to license the technology to private companies; several universities are interested in the process.