FREEZE DRYING

Professional rescue and care of your damaged papers

When paper gets wet, utmost urgency is required. The professional drying of documents, files and books is essential. In the event of an accident, we salvage stocks, organize logistics, take care of gentle drying and, if necessary, mold treatment. Our immediate measures and subsequent freeze-drying save your papers.

Damage to paper from water

[Translate to Englisch:] Nasses und feuchts Papier aufeinandergeschichtet

 

Water damage to books can often be devastating: pages stuck together, thickened and cracked parchment, deformed blocks or inks and stamps which have run so badly as to have become unrecognizable. The paper swells, bindings and covers are damaged, mold forms.

 

Water-damaged paper objects require fast action – professional freeze drying of files and books is absolutely necessary. We help you not only to freeze dry your objects and combat mold, but also to rescue your stock in the event of an emergency and to organize the logistics.

What to do if paper has become wet?

[Translate to Englisch:] Bucheinband mit Eiskristallen aus Gefriertrocknung

In cases of water damage, it is necessary to have books and files freeze dried immediately! Mold cannot grow at temperatures below - 20° C. We carefully fix a band around severely deformed books before they are freeze dried in order to be able to recreate the original shape during the freeze-drying process. Carrying out this preparatory work means that the subsequent restoration work will be less extensive and thus less cost intensive.

[Translate to Englisch:] Gefriertrocknungsanlage im ZFB Leipzig

Our freeze drying systems

are specially designed for the gentle drying of your valuable papers and books

How does freeze drying work?

In freeze drying, the water sublimes. That means the water goes directly from a solid, frozen state into the gaseous state.

The ice thus escapes from the paper without becoming liquid again. Therefore, no further damage arising from swelling results, the inks do no run and dyes do not continue to bleed.

Compared to drying processes which work with high heat, continued damage arising during the course of drying is impossible. In freeze drying, the books are enclosed in a vacuum chamber. The air pressure, which is normally 1000 millibar, is reduced to below 6 millibar. In this vacuum, the ice sublimes without thawing. Afterwards, the books are thoroughly dry.

Benefit from our experience!

[Translate to Englisch:] Großaufnahme Schimmelbildung auf Papier

We have gained a wealth of experience from our work in such catastrophes as the flood of the Elbe River in 2002, the fire in the Duchess Anna Amalia Library in Weimar in 2004, the collapse of the historical municipal archives in Cologne in 2009 or the flood in Bangkok in 2011 as well as the flood in June of 2013 in Saxony and 2021 in Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz among many others.

We are available for you at our emergency number 24 hours a day. Here, we can give you the first instructions for quickly securing your documents. Our experts will gladly pick up your damaged stocks within a few hours and help you to plan the transport of your water-damaged objects.