25 Years CD Rot

[M Holmes]

Stephen Swann writes:

> 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.

I don't know if this is related but one of the CD manufacturing
companies made poor CDs several years ago and has agreed to replace CDs
if they rot.

Unfortunately I don't remember the details but I'd guess that a question
to a relevant newsgroup or maybe even a web search would elicit further
information.

FoFP