The Relationship Between Paper Properties and Adhesive Book Binding Behavior.

A study has been made of the properties of papers which affect suitability for adhesive bookbinding. A series of paper tests were selected to test the hypothesis that binding depends upon the penetration of liquid adhesive into the intrasheet and intersheet void space in the edge of the clamped pad of body stock. A multiple sheet absorption instrument was designed to determine the rate at which a test liquid penetrates into and between the sheets of a pad of paper. Tests with this device correlated well with page-pull values obtained on experimentally bound books. Page-pull values also correlated well with other sheet properties which are indicative of high intrasheet and intersheet void volume. The rate of penetration of adhesive may be expected to depend both on the size of the voids and the contact angle of the adhesive on the walls of the void space For the unprinted papers examined the contact angle was not the critical factor, but may be important with other papers and with some printed papers - particularly when the page bleeds to the gutter.