Mat Board Question

I don't think this is necessarily the right place for this question, but it's the closest I could find.

 

Recently I was looking through some mat corners to pick mats for some new prints, and I found two odd things printed on the backs of several corners. First was "100% Cotton Rag," followed by "Buffered to Alkaline pH."

 

I called the manufacturer and they were unable to answer my question about why 100% cotton rag would have to be buffered. The closest they could come was a comment to the effect that high end papers "like an alkaline environment." I called Hahnemule next, and they said "Bullsh#t."

 

Any ideas? This is one of the major manufacturers, and has been my go-to for board, but it sounds like they're pulling something hinky.

It has long been traditional to buffer 100% rag board for use with B&W silver prints since even high quality paper will tend toward a lower pH over time. It is less that "high end papers like an alkaline environment" than that they don't do well in a highly acidic one. True archival framing should be reversible in the event that mats, etc. deteriorate over time.

Good, straight info, thanks. It sounds like you're saying that inkjet prints shouldn't be affected one way or another, then?