ISO 16245:2023

Overview

ISO 16245:2023 - Information and documentation - Boxes, file covers and other enclosures, made from cellulosic materials, for storage of paper and parchment documents - sets requirements for enclosures made of cellulosic materials (paper and board) intended for long‑term archival and preservation of paper and parchment. Applicable products include boxes (solid and corrugated board), file covers, folders, cases, portfolios, tubes and envelopes. The standard excludes photographic materials (see ISO 18902 for photographic storage).

Key topics and technical requirements

ISO 16245:2023 addresses material composition, construction and performance aspects relevant to preservation quality. Main technical topics include:

• Material types: definitions and categories for single‑layer, multi‑layer, corrugated and pasted boards.
• Board and paper properties: grammage, absorbency, Kappa number (Annex A) and other pulp/board characteristics used to assess permanence.
• Chemical safety: control of alkali reserve, pH, and potential bleeding of dyes or additives (improved bleeding test in Annex B).
• Construction elements: cloth covering, lining, adhesives, manufacturer's joints, fasteners and surface finish.
• Mechanical performance: strength, stacking/compression and dimensional requirements (strength test in Annex C).
• Tests and reporting: required test methods and test report elements, with normative references (e.g., ISO 302, ISO 535, ISO 536, ISO 23404).

The second edition added ISO 23404 as a normative reference to assess the impact of volatiles on cellulose, refined bleeding test procedures, and clarified board type definitions.

Applications

ISO 16245:2023 is intended for:

• Specification and procurement of archival boxes, folders and enclosures for libraries, archives, museums and records centres.
• Manufacturers and converters of conservation-grade storage materials to design and test products for long-term document protection.
• Preservation specialists specifying storage solutions to reduce deterioration from light, humidity fluctuations, dust and handling.

Practical benefits: improved document protection, standardized material acceptance, and clearer testable criteria for long-term storage solutions.

Who should use this standard

• Archivists, conservators and records managers specifying storage enclosures.
• Library and museum collections staff responsible for preservation.
• Manufacturers, packaging engineers and quality managers producing conservation‑grade boxes, file covers and enclosures.
• Procurement officers and standards bodies creating institutional or national specifications.

Related standards

• ISO 18902 - Requirements for storage materials for photographic materials (not covered by ISO 16245).
• ISO 23404 - Measurement of impact of volatiles on cellulose in paper.
• ISO 302, ISO 535, ISO 536, ISO 6588, ISO 10716 - referenced test methods for pulp, paper and board properties.

Keywords: ISO 16245:2023, archival boxes, file covers, cellulosic materials, long‑term storage, document preservation, conservation‑grade enclosures.