Review of Preservation and Storage of Sound Recordings [Part 2]

Abstract

Turning next to the specific types of phonograph discs acetate, shellac, and vinyl the investigators ran a series of tests resulting in some interesting observations and comparisons. It must be kept in mind, of course, that the testing of the aging qualities of the discs was done by simulating storage conditions although some data on the aging of discs developed by the Library of Congress over a period of about fifteen years was also available. It was found that acetate discs made of older material have a known life expectancy of fifteen years; modern discs should have a longer life, but because of the instability of the material this type of record cannot be considered to have an indefinitely long shelf life