"CD Rot"

Based on environmental testing from Bell Labs, CDs and DVDs can be damaged due to atmospheric gases, degrading emitters from plastic jewel cases and other sources, reducing longevity to decades, rather than the decades predicted by the industry. Corrosion Intercept® packaging provides the necessary protection to avoid damage to your CD or DVD.

(PRWEB) October 9, 2004 -- Published in the May 6th, 2004 Technology Section of the CNN.com Newspage read the title CDs, DVDs Not so Immortal". The article started by describing the situation of graphic designer, Dan Koster, who had degradation or CD Rot" on his discs which he had thought were indestructible. I was kind of shocked to see a constellation of pinpricks, little points where the light was coming through the aluminum layer," he says, We were all told that CDs were well-nigh indestructible when they were introduced in the mid '80s, Companies used that in part to justify the higher price of CDs as well."

In this story, an industry representative describes the situation where misuse and abuse is the source of the degradation situation. The article also reported that as there are not yet standardized test established for the CD and DVD industry and that there isnt a standardizing to the materials used by the manufacturers, so their past claims of up to a hundred years of product longevity cant be substantiated. But based on environmental testing from Bell Labs (Lucent Technologies), Jonathan S. Farley MA ACR MIPC, and EMI Records, it may not just be abuse or neglect that is the only factor damaging the CDs and DVDs. Reaction to corrosive gases that exists in the atmosphere all about us, degrading emitters from the plastic jewel cases, and ESD events may be the source of damage.

The Bell Labs test was to subject music CDs (chosen because they are the most robust form of CDs) in a chamber with a controlled amount of ozone, an unstable form of oxygen. Ozone is formed readily in every day environments and is similar to the other corrosive gases in that they are highly reactive. The accelerated test was over ten days to duplicate 5 years of ambient ozone exposure. The results showed that CDs will degrade in that time period or before.
The Farley test objective was to test for the presence of plasticizer vapors volatized by the jewel cases. Plasticizers are used in plastics to help keep plastics flexible, unfortunately they tend to be acidic and if released from the plastic in a closed containment such as a jewel case, will degrade the contents, in this case the CDs. Farleys conclusion; The most deleterious factor in the CD's environment which will contribute to its decay is the Jewel Case in which it is supplied. Acid off gassing as a result of poorly chosen materials in the product's packaging can reduce the longevity of a CD to decades rather than the centuries predicted by most manufacturers".

Much to the surprise of EMI Records, their varying temperature and humidity chamber test results were similar in that it proved that CDs do degrade and have a finite life less than previously expected.

In all these testing situations a Corrosion Intercept® packaging product was also tested. In every test the Corrosion Intercept® package gave the CD the needed protection to last decades and even centuries. So there is a solution in the digital data business that will supply the owners of important information the assurance that the data will be there when they need it.

Corrosion Intercept® digital data protection is available in polyethylene sleeves and traditional thermoformed jewel case inserts.

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