Historically, most of society’s writings and visual images have been recorded on paper.
After this reduction the paper fibers are still quite strong, but fiber strength is highly dependent upon retaining this DP and acids break cellulose bonds randomly often cutting the cellulose polymer in central regions. These attacks drastically reduce the DP of cellulose and quickly weaken the fibers. Alkalis also attack cellulose, but by a different mechanism, in which only end units are removed (end peeling) so that alkaline degradation has much less effect on reducing DP (Bristow and Kolseth, 1986)