25 Years CD Rot

[Stephen Swann]

Mark Edmonds writes:
>
> From: Mark Edmonds
> Date: 1999-04-06 10:14
>
> My 25 Years Virgin CD is showing serious signs of decay. It looks like
> air is getting into the layer between the data part of the disc and the
> label and it looks like it has streaks of some sort of growth growing
> into the centre of the disc. Thankfully, the playing time of this disc is
> so short that it has to grow over more than 50% of the disc to affect the
> sound but its not very conforting anyway. Has anyone else come across
> this problem or have I just got a dud? If it is a case of the disc layers
> separating, is there a known cure to slow the process down?

No known cure, and any "experimental" treatments run a good risk of
making it worse.

> I was
> wondering if something crazy like putting a thin layer of glue round the
> rim might help matters? Thanks for any advice here.

It might, or it might end up forcing the layers wider open, allowing
in more air, and accelerating the oxidation.  Burning a CDR of it
is the only realistic way to preserve it.

Steve
swann at plutonia.com