Deterioration rates

Arsenio Sanchez <arsenio3 [at] santandersupernet__com> writes

>I'm writing one manual about libraries and archives conservation,
>and I need deterioration tables specifying deterioration rates for
>non-printed materials (i.e. CD's, photocopies, thermofax papers,
>audio, video, etc) to compare with other printed materials
>(rag-paper, mechanical pulp paper, etc).

For information on deterioration rates of materials such as magnetic
media the following articles have been useful to me;  none of the
articles compare directly to paper, however.  Also, it turns out
that as far as magnetic media goes, the deterioration mechanism of
the polyurethane binder is not fully understood.

    A. M. Hendley (1983) "The Archival Storage Potential of
    Microfilm, Magnetic Media and Optical Data Discs" British
    Library BNB Research Fund.  Contains an extensive bibliography.

    D.W. Brown, R.E. Lowry, and L.E. Smith (1984) "Prediction of the
    Long Term Stability of Polyester-Based Recording Media"  U.S.
    Department of Congress, National Bureau of Standards, prepared
    for National Archives.  Contains many tables and charts
    describing the characteristics and properties of polyurethane
    films.

    Leslie Smith (1991) "Factors Governing the Long-term Stability
    of Polyester-based Recording Media" Restaurator 12: 201-218.
    Summarizes research and end-of-life predictions.

    Dr. John W.C. Van Bogart (1995) "Magnetic Tape Storage and
    Handling, A guide for Libraries and Archives" National Media Lab
    and The Commission on Preservation & Access.
        This last booklet is a must for collections containing
        magnetic media.

Sarah Stauderman
Post-graduate Fellow in Archives Conservation
Smithsonian Center for Materials Research and Education

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 12:22
                  Distributed: Friday, August 28, 1998
                       Message Id: cdl-12-22-004
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