SIST ISO 16245:2024 PDF

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 to design and test products for long-term document protection.