Re: [ARSCLIST] A tape Vinegar Syndrome experience

["Richard L. Hess" <ArcLists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 02:59 PM 9/15/2005, Mwcpc6@xxxxxxx wrote:
> In a message dated 9/15/2005 12:12:06 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> ArcLists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
>
> My two recent posts on the subject is to alert people that there are
> potential accelerating factors that need to be considered in addition
> to the widely known ones:
>    (1) Kodak brand acetate tapes
>    (2) The 3M auto-threading reel
>
> Cheers,
>
> Richard
> **************
>
> I wonder in what way these are "accelerating factors" for the Vinegar
> Syndrome.  Neither Kodak's "Triacetate" base nor 3M's permanently 
> tacky adhesive for
> the auto-threading reel were used by any other tape manufacturer and are
> unlikely to be encountered in most archives.
>
> If found, these materials should be removed from an archive because of their
> apparent instability, but this says nothing about the behavior of normal tape
> materials.


Perhaps I should rephrase it:

(1) Kodak triacetate tape is at risk from vinegar syndrome. Any reels 
of this tape should be immediately removed from the archive to 
prevent possible damage to other tapes and all of these tapes should 
be transferred to more stable media as soon as practical.
(2) The 3M auto threading reels should be removed from archives and 
the tapes stored on them should be transferred to more stable media 
as soon as practical, and, if they show any signs of degradation, 
should not be returned to the main archive to prevent possible damage 
to other tapes.
(3) Ongoing tests of a sample of all types of acetate tapes held in 
the collection should be done annually using IPI AD strips. Any at 
risk tapes should be immediately removed from the archive to prevent 
possible damage to other tapes and all of these tapes should be 
transferred to more stable media as soon as practical.
(4) If setting priority for transferring tapes, acetate tapes should 
be considered at higher risk than polyester tapes. It is my 
understanding that, if stored under good archival conditions, it is 
not critical to rush to copy sticky shed tapes as the degradation, at 
this time, does not seem to get substantially worse with age and is 
not auto catalytic like vinegar syndrome. Therefore, in setting the 
priorities, acetate before polyester. But there are many factors in 
prioritizing reformatting as was so ably pointed out by the team from 
Indiana University at this year's ARSC conference in Austin.

Cheers,

Richard



Richard L. Hess                           email: richard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Vignettes 
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