CD test method

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    Date: 27 Apr 92
    From: Lloyd Davidson <ldavids [at] casbah__acns__nwu__edu>
    Subject:      CD Longevity ...

    An article in the Apr. 4 issue of New Scientist, p. 19, describes
    new test procedures European CD manufacturers are implementing that
    might finally provide truly archival CDs.  Until now potential
    problems with the oxidation of the aluminum surface, deterioration
    of the lacquer covering, and other possible breakdowns of their
    structural integrity has caused general apprehension about their
    long term stability.  Now, under pressure from the British company
    Nimbus, "all the European plants have agreed to a test procedure,
    which involves putting CDs in an environmental chamber, raising the
    temperature from 20 degrees C to 48 degrees C in half an hour,
    leaving the temperature steady for 12 hours, and then cycling down
    again.  This goes on, at a relative humidity of 95% for four weeks."
    This will be turned into a standard which will be added to the Red
    Book of CD standards published by Philips.  If used by
    manufacturers, Bert Gall, General Manager of Optical Systems at
    Philips in Eindhoven, says the "life of a disc will be more than a
    thousand years."  This might be a bit optimistic, but it is nice to
    see some rigorous standard adopted.  I would like to see them add
    some flexing to the text.
    ...
    Lloyd Davidson
    LDavids [at] casbah__acns__nwu__edu

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 5:54
                    Distributed: Sunday, May 3, 1992
                        Message Id: cdl-5-54-011
                                  ***