Abstract: An experiment designed to predict the lifetime of the Xuan paper using the viscosity method is introduced in the form of group collaboration. This experiment is targeted at junior students who majored in conservation of cultural relics, with eight groups involved. Using a jacketed viscometer, the intrinsic viscosity of the two types of undegraded and degraded Xuan papers was determined, and the corresponding degree of polymerization (DP) was calculated. Then data were collected from all groups, and degradation rates of the papers were then calculated, which were then used to predict the life expectancy of the Xuan papers. The aim was to enhance students’ teamwork skills, practical experience, problem-solving abilities, data analysis, and scientific research capabilities, while also guiding them to apply their chemical knowledge to practical conservation for paper-based objects.

Key words: Paper-based heritage objects, Conservation of tangible heritage, Intrinsic viscosity, Determination of the degree of polymerization using the viscosity method