Abstract

Abstract Palm leaves are an important carrier for written heritage in southwest China, Tibet, and India. Due to the very nature of the material, many ancient palm leaf manuscripts are facing acidification and other types of degradation. Therefore, scientific research and conservation are of utmost importance. To study material properties and aging mechanisms of palm leaf manuscripts, their basic composition, physical and chemical properties, we studied infrared spectra, internal microstructure, and changes within the structure before and after aging of commonly used local talipot leaves. The results show that aging and deterioration of talipot leaves are mainly due to their acidic production process and high lignin content. The uneven distribution of longitudinal and transverse fiber bundles makes talipot leaves prone to longitudinal splitting. These findings provide important references for the conservation and long-term preservation of palm leaf manuscripts.

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