CONTACT:
For Union Carbide
Harvey I. Cobert or Jack Witemeyer (203) 794-7027
(203) 794-2535
For Wei T'o Associates
Richard D. Smith (312) 747-6660
UNION CARBIDE SIGNS EXCLUSIVE PAPER PRESERVATION AGREEMENT WITH WEI
T'O ASSOCIATES
DANBURY, Conn., Oct. 10 — An exclusive agreement for use of Wei T'o Associates, Inc.
technology to preserve books, documents, maps, works of art and other paper-based materials has
been signed by Union Carbide Chemicals and Plastics Company Inc. (UCC&P).
The Specialty Chemicals Division of UCC&P is assessing various marketing and facility options to
provide archives, libraries, museums and other institutions in the United States and internationally
with preservation services. The Wei T'o process complements Union Carbide's parylene technology
for strengthening embrittled paper.
"Our patented large-scale deacidification system is the only method that has been proven successful
commercially both in preservation laboratories and mass deacidification centers," said Dr. Richard
D. Smith, president and founder of Wei T'o, which is located in Matteson, 111.
Dr. Smith said Wei T'o technology involves the use of a nonflammable system that impregnates
paper with a non-toxic magnesium carbonate complex. This neutralizes acids, prevents future acid
development and potentially prolongs the life of paper up to 200-300 years.
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1989 P-6-01-89-082
MS-1515
"The magnitude of the U. S. paper preservation problem is staggering," said Dr. Smith. "Many of
the 300 million books in research libraries in the U. S. alone are too brittle to be in general
circulation. Most of the others contain paper that is likely to embrittle and more books containing
degradable paper are being printed every day. These books will be lost if they are not protected."
Union Carbide's parylene process, commercialized in the mid 1960s, has been used primarily in the
electronics, defense and aerospace industries, where it forms an almost imperceptible plastic
conformal coating that protects materials from many types of environmental problems. A typical
parylene protective coating is about 1,000 times thinner than a plastic sandwich bag.
According to Dr. Smith, the Wei T'o process was first commercialized 21 years ago. It has been
used to preserve such documents as the Declaration of Independence, Emancipation Proclamation,
The Treaty of Paris, and the U.S. Constitution, in addition to numerous works of art and more than
2,500 letters written by Abraham Lincoln. The National Archives of Canada and the National
Library of Canada have been treating up to 20,000 books a year using the Wei T'o technology.
Dr. Smith expects to use a portion of his future royalty income, which is anticipated to result from
the Union Carbide agreement, to establish a not-for-profit foundation to support graduate research
on the preservation of archive, library and museum materials.
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How the Chemistry Works
The patented process neutralizes the acid that destroys paper and leaves an alkaline buffer to protect
against future acid exposure.
The process technology is a nonaqueous homogeneous liquid solution of a mild base, a magnesium
carbonate complex, in a freon mixture. One of the advantages of this solution is that it has good
wetting properties while avoiding the problem of swelling
that occurs in aqueous solutions. The other advantage of this mild base is that it has limited
sensitivity to moisture.
The magnesium carbonate complex is carried into the dried books by the freon solution and is
subsequently hydrolyzed in ambient air to magnesium carbonate, magnesium hydroxide (milk of
magnesia) and magnesium oxide.
Carbon dioxide and water are released by the above reactions. The ratios of magnesium carbonate,
magnesium hydroxide and magnesium oxide in the book paper are ultimately determined by
equilibrium with the carbon dioxide and water present in ambient air. Sulfuric acid in
the book is converted to magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts). Magnesium compounds may also act as
complexing agents with trace amounts of iron, copper and cobalt in the paper preventing them from
catalyzing the oxidative deterioration of the paper.
Our Heritage Preserved
The following is a partial list of significant documents and works of art treated with the Wei To®
Process:
• Audubon: Complete Elephant Folios, 4v., hand-colored engravings.
• Audubon: Chromolithographs (more rare than Elephant Folio).
• Henri Toulouse-Lautrec: Various posters and watercolors.
• Francisco Goya: Etchings, some hand-colored.
• Rembrandt van Rijn: About 30 etchings.
• Jean Paul Sartre: 1,800 leaf manuscript on 3-ring notebook and composition book paper written
with various highly sensitive inks.
• M. C. Escher: Approximately 150 woodcuts and lithographs.
• Frank Lloyd Wright: Various materials including drawings.
• Treaty of Paris: Ended the Revolutionary War and established the United States of America.
• Burnam Plan of Chicago (architectural drawings) includes one watercolor (15 feet long) and over
thirty watercolors, each exceeding six feet long.
• Constitution of the State of Wyoming: First to give women the right to vote.
• George Washington: Letter of Acceptance of First Presidency of the United States.
• Three copies of U.S. Declaration of Independence printed by Dunlap on July 4, 1776.
• First draft of U.S. Constitution.
• Copies of First and Second Printings of U.S. Constitution.
• Emancipation Proclamation.
• Over 2,500 Abraham Lincoln letters.
• Helen Keller: Approximately 80 letters handwritten by Miss Keller.
• Cromwell letter.
• Henry VIII letter.
• Complete production records for Winchester rifle (the rifle that won the West). Approximately
300 manuscript ledgers prepared with different inks, papers, etc., between I860 and 1907. About
9,000 leaves of accounting records.
• About 30 volumes of 16th, 17th, and 18th century atlases from the American Geographical
Society Collection at the Golda Meir Library, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
• Various archival records for U.S. Army at Fort Sheridan. Consisted of many thousands of
manuscript sheets, office copies and some letters.
• Constitution of the State of Oklahoma.
Announcing a New Venture. . .
Paper Preservation Services
Union Carbide Paper Preservation Services is a business venture of the Speeialty Chemicals
Division of Union Carbide Chemicals and Plastics Company Inc. This venture is dedicated to the
preservation of paper materials.
Specialty Chemicals Division provides a broad array of products and services internationally which
include environmental services and systems, personal care and medical care products, and specialty
application chemicals. Many of its products are marketed by proprietary formulations or systems. A
strong dedication towards development of both new products and technologies exists in Union
Carbide.
Union Carbide has a deep commitment to the protection of its plant communities, the health and
safety of its employees, and the' environment. New chemical products and processes are being
developed to reduce some of the materials that are of environmental concern.
Wei T'o Associates, Inc. is a specialty chemical and chemical equipment company founded in 1972
and located in Matteson, Illinois. President and founder of Wei T'o. Dr. Richard D. Smith
developed an inexpensive way to neutralize the acid in books, using nonaqueous solutions.
This patented process is the only mass deaciclification technology which is used worldwide in
conservation laboratories and mass deacidification centers. It has been in operation at the National
Archive of Canada (NAC) in Ottawa since 1981. The NAC has been treating about 20,000 books
per year.
Dr. Smith has over twenty-five years of experience in the development and use of nonaqueous
solutions for deacidification.
Today, Wei T'o Associates offer deacidification sprays and solutions: deacidification. frcc/e-dr\ ing,
and non-chemical fumigation equipment; and preservation consulting services.