Vacuum Drying Technique

Unique technology transfer began in 1972 when Temple University's Klein Law Library caught fire. Almost 60,000 books, some irreplaceable, were completely soaked by tons of water. Temple's insurance company felt that the space vacuum chamber, originally used by Lunar Land Rover and Nimbus Weather Satellite could be effectively employed as a dryout tank. When books are in place and vault-like door secured, chamber pressure is reduced to spacelike conditions 1/100th of an atmosphere promoting evaporation of water. As water evaporates, it freezes in the near vacuum. After 24 hours, pressure is increased to break the vacuum. Then hot freon gas is introduced into chamber causing ice to melt, water is drained off through an opening in the chamber. This process is repeated until damaged materials are thoroughly dry.

Full article: http://hdl.handle.net/hdl:2060/20070019715