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Cooling to save archives flooded by hurricane "Xynthia".

Le froid pour sauver des archives noyées par "Xynthia".

Author(s) : RÉNIER A., REVERT O.

Type of article: Article, Case study

Summary

This article describes how freeze-drying has been applied in "La Rochelle", for saving administrative archives - which the General Council has to store, as official body - after the building had been damaged by the hurricane "Xynthia" at the end of February 2010. Boxes and folders, containing precious papers and irreplaceable information, often of a regulatory nature, were stored at the underground level of the building. A giant strong and unforeseeable wave has smashed windows. Archives were submerged under two metres of seawater. Development of moulds and bacteria which would destroy paper can be stopped by quick freezing and then restored by slow drying, a process involving several cold applications and restoring the initial texture. Freezing involving liquid nitrogen (-196°C), preservation in liquid nitrogen (-78°C) during transportation and, finally, freeze-drying has restored 3 linear km of archives that are back in their place, thanks to strict traceability. Regarding the technical side, results have matched expectations. Regarding the economic point of view, the technical solution is perfectly justified. Indeed, the total cost remains below the value of the archives as initially estimated by the insurance experts. Finally, last but not least, the process can be considered as having no effect on the environment.

Details

  • Original title: Le froid pour sauver des archives noyées par "Xynthia".
  • Record ID : 2011-0359
  • Languages: French
  • Source: Revue générale du Froid & du Conditionnement d'air - vol. 100 - n. 1105
  • Publication date: 2010/07

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