Just found out the hard way that PVA glue isn't archival

I was putting together a fine binding for a client's leather journal last week and used my usual PVA. Then I looked up the spec sheet on the manufacturer's site. Turns out the pH shifts over time and it can eat through paper in like 20 years. I had to tear the whole thing apart and start over with a starch paste blend. Has anyone else run into this with their go-to adhesive?

2 comments

2 Comments

kelly.parker6d ago

Its the plasticizers in PVA that break down over time not the pH.

evangarcia6d ago

Yeah I gotta push back a little on that. The plasticizers matter for sure, but pH plays a huge role too. PVA is sensitive to acid and alkaline conditions, and if the water chemistry is off it can absolutely speed up breakdown way before the plasticizers even start to go. I've seen cheap PVA glue fail in months just from being in a slightly acidic environment. Both things matter, can't really blame it all on one factor.