How does Argon gas protect old manuscripts from degradation?
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The air around us contains mostly nitrogen (inert for the most part), then there is about 20% oxygen, then even less CO2 and water vapor, and then other stuff in trace amounts (ratios can vary depending on the weather and other things). These things alone can be quite harmful to paper and generally organic materials, Argon is the cheapest noble gas available, which can “push away” oxygen, CO2 and water, so the manuscript ends up in a protective bubble and is preserved for many more years to come than if we were to leave it in room temperature, general air.
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