BCW Supplies

Our boards are not totally lignin free. Lignin is almost entirely removed during the bleaching process, but a small amount of lignin remains. Our boards are not P.A.T. Certified. No. Alpha cellulose is contained in board that is made using an alkaline process. As the name implies, Solid bleached sulphate (SBS) is made using a sulfate process. No. SBS is said to be a virgin fiber grade of paperboard. No. Our board is food grade SBS and FDA regulations prohibit the use of optical brighteners.

We have now been told by three different members of this community that we do not understand how an alkaline reserve works, yet none have taken the time to explain it in detail. We stand by our statement that it is basic chemistry. As vacantpassenger pointed out, the calcium carbonate acts as a Lewis base. If anyone can explain how an alkaline reserve works in greater detail, please do so.

The follwoing quote is from Thomas Blackburn. Thomas Blackburn is the former President and Chief Operating Officer of Chesapeake Corp. If you are wondering why Mr. Blackburn's opinion matters in this discussion it is because Chesapeake Corp. is a leading supplier of cartons, such as milk cartons, which are also made from solid bleached sulfate. The difference between milk carton stock and the solid bleached sulfate that is used for comic backing boards is that milk carton stock is lined with polyethylene so that the milk doesn't soak through the carton. Mike's study demonstrates that a stabilized acid base process sheet of paper, such as solid bleached sulfate, will not absorb any significant level of alkaline content from the coating which is also supported by Mr. Blackburn's statement.

It was a joke. We really didn't think we were going to have to defend ourselves where the correlation between Aluminium and Alzheimer's disease is concerned. However, now that we understand the ground rules, we will refrain from making any off-topic statement which can lead to an argument.

The coating is calcium carbonate. And, it is the same amount of coating on both sides as our BCW Comic Backing Board has on one side. We state that the BCW Comic Backing Boards have a 3% buffer of calcium carbonate, but in testing it was actually a little over 4%. Here are the results of the test; Alkaline Reserve, ASTM D-4988-96 (%) BCW Silver Extender 10.04 % BCW Current Board 4.36 % The buffer, or calcium carbonate, is 10% because there is twice as much coating and there is approximately 42% less solid bleached sulfate in the BCW Comic Extenders than there is in the BCW Comic Backing Boards. As you can see above, the test results show the alkaline reserve (calcium carbonate) of the BCW Silver Extender is 10.04%.

That is uncanny. I actually was in 6th grade in 1974. I don't recall being truant, though.

We prefer the term Sanitation Engineer.

The proper name of the product is BCW Comic Extenders. They are also made of solid bleached sulfate board and they are coated with calcium carbonate. But, they are coated on both sides. They have an alkaline reserve of 10% and a pH of 8.35. To date we have not received a complaint about staples popping through the paper as Mike suggests. If anyone has evidence to the contrary we would like to hear from you. We should point out that Bill Cole's Thin X-Tenders are 9 mil in thickness. Do you recommend that collectors use this product? We can't imagine that 1/1,000 of an inch makes much difference.

Actually, we recommend against the use of Mylanta because it contains Aluminum hydroxide and may contribute to Alzheimer's disease.

Perhaps now would be a good time to point out that we have not made a personal attack on any member of this forum. We only came to discuss the study that Mike has posted in a polite and professional manner. In return we have been subjected to a barrage of insults by certain members of this community. Is this the way manufacturer's representatives are treated here? Judging by your comment about employees of E. Gerber, a company who's products you obviously hold above our own, it is.

Both the E. Gerber board and the BCW board are 3% calcium carbonate by weight and both are made from wood pulp. If we were to perform TAPPI T 435 on both products we suspect that the result would be a pH level between 7 and 8 for both (which is a hypothesis your preliminary data supports). Assuming that we are correct, and the results come back as we expect, what would your conclusion be at that point?

The identity of the person or persons making the statement has no bearing on the validity of the statement itself. We have registered as BCW Supplies because we represent the company, not an individual. In Mike's study he didn't refer to an individual. He referred to BCW as a company and we are responding as such.

Both the E. Gerber and BCW product have a 3% buffer of calcium carbonate, so the buffer of the E. Gerber product is no stronger than the buffer of the BCW product. They are both 3% calcium carbonate (by weight, to be specific). How can you suggest that the E. Gerber buffer is stronger?

The problem with your example is that both the BCW and E. Gerber products have a 3% buffer of calcium carbonate. In your example the 10% solution of Tris-Hydrochloride has a concentration that is 1,000 times greater than that of the 0.01% solution of Tris-Hydrochloride. If the E. Gerber board had a 3,000% buffer of calcium carbonate then your example would apply. However, that is not the case.

According to Mike's study there was no change in the pH level of the E. Gerber boards at all. Therefore, either Mike's data is incorrect, or the E. Gerber board does not absorb any acid even after 2 years of use. One of the industry professionals that we have contacted is a representative of E. Gerber. It was this representative who stated that E. Gerber full-backs and half-backs are made of Archival Mat Board. Further, the representative stated that E. Gerber makes no claim that their full-backs or half-backs will absorb the residual acid that migrates from the pages of a comic book. The only claim that they make is that it will not contribute to the deterioration of a comic book. Wood pulp is naturally acidic but can be buffered with calcium carbonate to temporarily shift the pH balance to alkaline. However, it will return to being acidic and start to harm the your comic book in about five years. No matter how free of acid a paper or board may be immediately after its manufacture, over time the presence of residual chlorine from bleaching, aluminum sulfate from sizing, and pollutants in the atmosphere may lead to the formation of acid unless the paper or board has been buffered with an alkaline substance. As noted in Mike's study, both the E. Gerber and BCW boards have a 3% buffer of calcium carbonate. Also noted in Mike's study is the fact that the 3% buffer of calcium carbonate is distributed throughout the board in the E. Gerber product, whereas the 3% buffer of calcium carbonate is concentrated in the form of a coating on the BCW product. Given that both products are made from wood pulp, how does the E. Gerber product absorb so much more residual acid that the change in the pH level is undetectable after 2 years of use? Perhaps the statement by both E. Gerber and BCW that the E. Gerber board doesn't absorb any residual acid is technically incorrect. However, based on Mike's data, one could deduce that so little of the 3% buffer of calcium carbonate is in contact with the comic book that the change in the pH level of the surface of the E. Gerber board is virtually undetectable. Please keep in mind that, as previously stated, we all have a common goal; to determine, beyond any reasonable doubt, the facts regarding the use of solid bleached sulfate for comic backing boards. It is not our intention to mislead our customers. We do not try to hide the fact that the board is solid bleached sulfate which is not suitable for long term storage of your comic books. This is why we recommend that you change your bags and boards every 3 to 5 years.

In Mike's study he noted that both the E. Gerber and BCW boards have a 3% buffer of calcium carbonate. If the buffer reacts with acidic gases that come in contact with it as you state, how does the E. Gerber board remain pH neutral?

The information came directly from E. Gerber, and we did not suggest that E. Gerber has misrepresented their products. As for the quote from the E. Gerber web site, where does it state that full-backs and half-backs absorb any acid?

Please feel free to contact E. Gerber on this issue directly. They make no claim that their full-backs or half-backs absorb any residual acid from the pages of a comic book. And, Mike's study demonstrates that they do not. If they did the surface pH of the E. Gerber boards in Mike's study would show a lower pH level. Here's a thought; rather than take our word for it you can perform vacantpassenger's vinegar paper test using E. Gerber full-backs or half-backs and see for yourself.

As stated previously, we have been able to confirm that E.Gerber full-backs and half-backs are made from Archival Mat Board and they are inert which means that they do not absorb the residual acid from the pages of a comic book. While this statement may be true, Mike has done nothing to hinder the deterioration of his comic books.

As we stated before, we agree that MCP is the best long term storage solution for your comic books. However, Mike's study shows that even after two years of use the uncoated side of the solid bleached sulfate backing board still has a pH level of 4 which means that the acid in the board does not migrate to your comic book. And, if the calcium carbonate absorbs the residual acid from the book itself, isn't that better than a pH neutral board, or no board at all?

If this statement were true then solid bleached sulfate boards would turn yellow while they are still sealed in the package.

We have been able to confirm that E. Gerber full-backs and half-backs are made from Archival Mat Board which is pH neutral and inert. By design, Archival Mat Board will not absorb the residual acid that migrates from the pages of a comic book. It should be noted that nowhere on their web site or packaging does E. Gerber state that their full-backs or half-backs will absorb acid. E. Gerber claims only that their product will not contribute to the deterioration of comic books. E. Gerber full-backs and half backs are intended to be an archival safe stiffener and nothing more. We are well aware of how an alkaline reserve works. As vacantpassenger has stated, the calcium carbonate is a Lewis base. A Lewis base is any species that donates lone pair electrons. When a Lewis base reacts with a Lewis acid it forms a Lewis adduct by sharing the electron pair. This concept should be familiar to anyone who took (and paid attention in) a high school chemistry class. What concerns us is that there are individuals who are making erroneous claims about our products and our company that collectors might rely on in making purchases.

We apologize for the delay in our response. We are calling on professionals in the paper industry and gathering the information necessary to address your questions. One thing that we would like to stress is that we have a common goal; to determine, beyond any reasonable doubt, the facts regarding the use of solid bleached sulfate for comic backing boards. It should be noted that we do not recommend solid bleached sulfate boards for long term storage of comic books. Our BCW Comic Backing Boards are offered as a cost effective short term storage solution which is why we recommend that you change your backing boards every 3 to 5 years as outlined in the information regarding the storage of comics and magazines provided on bcwsupplies.com. In response to Mike's request that we address his dubious award, we have not been presented with any evidence that would support Mike's claims that BCW Comic Extenders "..are certain to cause undue strain on the staples which can lead to the staples popping through the paper." While we understand that the information regarding comic backing boards is important, ultimately this conversation is about the preservation of comic books themselves. With this is mind we will state that no comic books, damaged or otherwise, have been presented as proof of Mike's claims.

To clarify, the coating of calcium carbonate is the buffer. The buffer is not in the coating. It is the coating. To answer your specific question, the information is provided by the paper mills and verified by independent laboratory tests.

We can use the terms "offset" and "absorb" interchangeably in this situation per vacantpassenger's explanation above. When the carbonate donates electrons to positively charged hydrogen molecules to neutralize each other we could say that the elements "offset" each other (because both elements are trying to achieve neutrality. The carbonate becomes more acidic and the hydrogen becomes more alkaline), or we could say that the carbonate "absorbs" the acid. Think of it this way; we have a total of 3% calcium carbonate to "offset" or "absorb" acid regardless of whether that 3% is distributed throughout the board or sitting on top. Solid bleached sulfate is washed in an acid bath, and as Mike's data clearly demonstrates, the uncoated board is acidic with a pH level of 4. If the board is buffered throughout then most of the calcium carbonate is offsetting, or absorbing, the acid from the board itself and not the comic book. Therefore, if the board is buffered throughout, you would need much more than 3% to achieve the same result as a board with a 3% coating of calcium carbonate as demonstrated by the fact that the used E. Gerber half-back is still neutral after 2 years according to Mike's data.