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Specifications for Spacer Boards

Specification Number 600-601-6/19/02

This specification is provided as a public service by the Preservation Directorate of the Library of Congress. Any commercial reproduction that implies endorsement of a product, service or materials, in any publication, is strictly prohibited by law. This Specification is written for L.C. purchasing purposes and is subject to change when necessary.

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I. General Specifications - II. Product Requirements - III. Inspection

I. GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

A. Stock Composition

1. Pulp:
   • Fiber: The stock should be made from rag or other high alpha-cellulose content pulp. It must not contain any post consumer waste recycled pulp.
   • Lignin: The stock must give a negative reading for lignin as determined by the phloroglucinol test when tested according to ASTM D 1030, X5 spot stains and shall have a Kappa number of 5 or less when tested according to TAPPI T 236 cm-85.
   • Impurities: The stock must be free of metal particles, waxes, plasticizers, residual bleach, peroxide, sulfur (which will be less than 0.0008% reducible sulfur as determined by TAPPI T 406 om-88), and other components that could lead to the degradation of the paper and artifacts stored therein.
   • Metallic Impurities: Iron must not exceed 150 ppm and copper shall not exceed 6 PPM when test according to TAPPI T 266
   • Optical Brighteners: The stock must be free of optical brightening agents.
2. pH:
   The stock should have a pH value of 8.0 - 9.5 as determined by TAPPI T 509 om-88, cold extraction (modified by slurrying sample pulp before measurement).
3. Alkaline Reserve:
   The alkaline reserve should be a minimum of 2% and a maximum of 5% calculated as CaCO₃ when tested according to ASTM 4988-89.
4. Sizing:
   Only neutral or alkaline sizing shall be used. No alum rosin or rosin sizing should be used as determined by ASTM D 549-88.
5. Color:
   The color of the stock will normally be tan, cream, buff or will be specified on the purchase order. The color must not be so dark that it obscures color-dependent test evaluations.
   Bleeding: The color must show no bleeding when soaked in distilled water for 48 hours while held under suitable weight in contact with white bond paper. The color must not rub off.
   Retention: The color of the stock must not change more than 5 points of brightness as measured by directional reflectance at 457 nm (TAPPI T 452 om-92), when exposed 24 hours to a Xenon arc lamp in an Atlas Weatherometer under the following conditions: Irradiance Level: 1.0 watts/m2 at 420 NM Inner filter: Borosilicate glass. Outer filter: clear soda lime glass. Black panel temperature: 50°C. Wet bulb depression: 8.5°C.

B. Workmanship

Edges should be cut square and clean, and sizes accurate.

C. Identification

No identification marks are necessary.

D. Packaging

• Inner Wrapper:
  I.D.:Each package must plainly identify the type, size and number of items within, the name of the supplier or manufacturer, year of manufacture, manufacturing run or batch number, actual pH.
• Outer Wrapper:
  The items must be packed in standard commercial containers which are constructed to ensure that they arrive at the Library of Congress in dry, undamaged condition.
  ID: The outside of each container must be identified by type, size and number of items within, manufacturing run or batch number and Purchase Order number or Contract number.

E. Testing

1. Responsibility:
   The supplier is responsible for meeting all the requirements specified herein. The Library of Congress has the right to perform any of the tests set forth in the specification where such tests are deemed necessary to ensure that supplies conform to prescribed requirements.
2. Sampling:
   To sample for testing, shipments will be sampled according to MIL-STD-105E at inspection level S-2 with an acceptance quality level of 2.5 percent defective from each lot offered. Copies of MIL-STD-105E are available from Naval Publications and Forms Center, Standardization Document Order Department, Building 4, Section D, 700 Robbins Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111-5094.
3. Methods:
   Tests will be conducted in accordance with specified test methods of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), and the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI). Publications describing these tests may be ordered directly from the technical associations at the following address:
   • ANSI, 1430 Broadway, New York, NY 10018
   • ASTM, 1916 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
   • TAPPI, One Dunwoody Park, Atlanta, GA 30348
4. Tests:
   

   Requirements		Test Method
   Lignin:	negative/Kappa 5	ASTM D 1030, X5 or TAPPI 236 cm-85
   Reducible Sulfur:	< 0.0008%	TAPPI T 406 om-88
   Iron:	< 150 PPM	TAPPI T-266
   Copper:	< 6 PPM	TAPPI T-266
   pH:	8.0 - 9.5 pH	TAPPI T 509 om-88. cold extraction, slurried pulp
   Alkaline Reserve:	2 - 5%	ASTM D 4988-89
   Alum Rosin Sizing:	negative.	ASTM D 549-88
   Color Bleeding:	none	See above, "I. 8. Color"
   Color Retention:	< 5 points	TAPPI T 452 om-87

F. Quality Assurance Inspection

1. Sampling:
   To evaluate non-tested requirements, shipments will be sampled according to MIL-STD-105E at inspection level S-2 with an acceptable quality level of 4.0 percent defective from each lot offered.

II. PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS: Spacer Boards

A. Construction, illustrated below

• The Spacer Boards should be constructed of a single sheet of B-Flute corrugated board.
• Each board should be creased vertically 6 times from both the right and left edges, totaling 12 creases.
• The spacing between each crease should be one inch.
• The center part of the Spacer Board should not be creased for 11 3/4 inches.

B. Workmanship

• The board must not split, fray or crack along folds or creases
• No identification marks are necessary.
• The color should be white, tan, cream, buff, gray or as specified
• Edges must be cut square and clean
• Sizes must be accurate

C. Dimensions

Each Spacer Board should be 23 3/4 x 8 inches.

III. INSPECTION : Spacer Boards

An examination will be made to determine whether the items comply with the Requirements Sections. The qualities and characteristics which will be examined include the following.

Testing Inspection

• Materials must pass all composition and performance specifications stated in "I. General Specifications"

Visual Inspection

• The board must not split, fray or crack along folds or creases
• No identification marks are necessary.
• The color should be white, tan, cream, buff, gray or as specified
• Edges must be cut square and clean
• Sizes must be accurate
• The dimensions should be 23 3/4 x 8 inches.
• The spacer boards should be constructed of a single sheet of B-Flute corrugated board.
• Each board should be creased vertically 6 times from both the right and left edges, totalling 12 creases.
• The spacing between each crease should be one inch.
• The center part of the Spacer Board should not be creased for 11 3/4 inches.
• The inner wrapper must be according to size and identified as specified
• The outer wrapper must ensure arrival in dry, undamaged condition

FAILURE TO MEET ANY OF THE SPECIFICATIONS WILL BE CAUSE FOR REJECTION.