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5. How Can You Prevent Magnetic Tape from

Degrading Prematurely?
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The remainder of t his document answers t his quest ion. Some of t he fact ors t o be discussed are
more cont rollable t han ot hers. For example, you can normally decide t he st orage condit ions and
level of access t o an archive collect ion. However, you do not always have cont rol over t he qualit y
of t he t ape wind, or t he brand, t ype, and format of t he t ape media on which t he informat ion is
st ored.

Fact ors affect ing t he life of t he t ape over which you have some cont rol are:

The care wit h which it is handled and shipped, discussed in Sect ion 5.1: Care and Handling.
The qualit y of t he condit ions in which it is st ored, discussed in Sect ion 5.2: St orage Condit ions
and St andards.
The number of t imes t he t ape is accessed during it s lifet ime, discussed in Sect ion 5.1: Care
and Handling: Frequent Access.

Ot her fact ors t hat affect media over which you have less cont rol are:

The physical component s of t he t ape, discussed in Sect ion 2: What Can Go Wrong wit h
Magnet ic Media?
The qualit y of t he t ape being purchased; for example, st andard grade versus high grade VHS.
Variat ion in t he qualit y of t he manufact urer; for example, a name brand versus a bargain brand.
Fut ure availabilit y of syst em t echnology t o play back t he t ape. For example, quadruplex
videot apes st ill exist in archives; however, t he equipment t o play t hem back is considered
obsolet e, and it is difficult t o find working recorders.

 
Priva cida de - Te rm os
5.1 Care and Handling
Magnet ic t ape should receive t he same kind of care t hat you would give t o a valuable book or
import ant phot ograph. In general, handle t he t apes wit h care, keep t hem clean, and apply
common sense:

Use and st ore magnet ic t ape reels and casset t es in a clean environment .
Avoid cont aminat ion of t he t apes by dirt , dust , fingerprint s, food, cigaret t e smoke and ash, and
airborne pollut ant s.
Take care not t o drop t apes or cart ridges.
Keep t apes out of st rong sunlight and avoid cont act wit h wat er.
Do not st ore t apes on radiat ors, window sills, t elevisions, elect ronic equipment , or machinery.
When t he t apes are not in use, t hey should be placed back on t he st orage shelf, and st ored on
end. They should not be allowed t o lay flat (reel flanges parallel wit h t he t able t op) for
ext ended periods of t ime.

Refer t o t he Ampex Guide in t he Appendix for more informat ion. Magnet ic t apes do require some
unique care and handling precaut ions. Because t hey are a magnet ic form of st orage, exposure t o
st rong magnet ic fields must be avoided t o prevent informat ion loss. This is generally not a
problem, unless t he mat erials need t o be t ransport ed or shipped.

Frequent Access
Tapes t hat are frequent ly accessed may have a reduced life expect ancy due t o wear and t ear.
The life of t he media may not be det ermined by dat a error rat es, but by t he life of t he media
housing. In one inst ance, t he life of a t ape casset t e was limit ed by failure of t he casset t e door,
not because of any fault of t he t ape media. How many insert and eject cycles will your media be
required t o handle? This may limit t he life of t he casset t e.

The more a t ape or casset t e is handled, t he more it is cont aminat ed wit h fingerprint s and debris.
It is also exposed t o less t han ideal condit ions, especially if t he mat erials are removed from t he
building in which t hey are normally st ored.

Every t ime a VHS casset t e is loaded int o a recorder, t he recorder mechanism pulls t ape from t he
casset t e. This mechanism can damage t he t ape if t he guide pins are not properly aligned. Debris
on t he loading mechanism can scrat ch t he surface of t he t ape. Also, when a t ape is removed
from a recorder, t he t ape must properly ret ract int o t he casset t e, ot herwise it will be damaged
when t he casset t e doors close and t he t ape casset t e is eject ed from t he recorder. Most of us
have probably had experience wit h a VHS deck t hat has eat en a t ape.
Because of pot ent ial damage t o t he t ape, it is import ant t hat t he t apes be insert ed and eject ed
at areas of t he t ape t hat cont ain no recorded informat ion. A t ape should NEVER be eject ed in t he
middle of an import ant recording.

Transportation of Magnetic Tape

Care must be exercised t o ensure t hat t ape collect ions are not harmed when t hey are
t ransport ed. When magnet ic media are t ransport ed, t emperat ures should not exceed 110° F (43°
C). Collect ions should be t ransport ed in t he spring or t he fall when out door t emperat ures are
moderat e, if possible. Properly wound t ape reels can survive great er variat ions in t emperat ure and
humidit y wit hout permanent damage t han can poorly wound t ape packs.

Tapes and casset t es should be shipped in t he same orient at ion as t hey are st ored – on edge –
wit h t he weight of t he t ape pack being support ed by t he reel hub. Tapes t hat are shipped in t he
flat posit ion are part icularly subject t o damage from dropping and ot her forms of shock. This is
especially t rue of t apes t hat experience large changes in t emperat ure during shipment or t apes
t hat are poorly wound.

Media should be prot ect ed from damage due t o shock by packing t hem in mat erials t hat will
absorb shock (special packages, bubble wrap), using special labeling, and t ransport ing t hem in
appropriat e vehicles. Shock-absorbing packaging will oft en have t he added advant age of
providing insulat ion t hat helps prot ect t he media from large swings in t emperat ure and humidit y.

Exposure t o st rong magnet ic fields must also be avoided t o prevent informat ion loss. Some of
t he det ect ors used t o screen luggage in overseas airport s have been known t o part ially erase
t apes. Walk t hrough met al det ect ors and X-ray scanners do not pose a t hreat t o recorded
informat ion. Some hand-held met al det ect ors can cause problems since t hey use st rong
magnet ic fields. Refer t o t he sect ion on St ray Magnet ism in t he Ampex Guide in t he Appendix.

5.2. Storage Conditions and Standards

St oring magnet ic t ape in a clean, cont rolled environment is t he most import ant precaut ion you
can t ake t o ext end t he life of t he media. High t emperat ures, high humidit y, and t he presence of
dust and corrosive element s in t he air all affect t he physical component s t hat make up magnet ic
t ape and can result in loss of readable dat a t hrough decreased magnet ic capabilit y and
det eriorat ion of t he binder or backing of t he t ape. Too low t emperat ures should also be avoided.
In some cases, t emperat ures lower t han 32° F (0° C) may act ually harm t he media and short en,
rat her t han ext end, life expect ancies by risking exudat ion of t he lubricant from t he binder, which
may clog heads. Rapid t emperat ure changes are also undesirable as t hey int roduce st resses in
t he wound t ape pack. Tapes t hat are t o be played in an environment different from t he st orage
environment should be allowed t o acclimat e t o t he new t emperat ure.

Temperature and Relative Humidity

For years t ape manufact urers have recommended t hat you st ore your t apes in a cool, dry place.
In Sect ion 2: What Can Go Wrong wit h Magnet ic Tape?, t he reasons behind t his dict um were
discussed in t erms of t he chemist ries of t he t ape component s: Binder hydrolysis is dependent on
t he moist ure cont ent of t he t ape, and lower humidit y result s in lower rat es of hydrolysis.
Furt hermore, t his react ion will proceed more slowly at lower t emperat ures. The lat t er is also t rue
for t he magnet ic pigment s – t hey will degrade more slowly at lower t emperat ures. Finally, t o
reduce unnecessary st resses on t he wound t ape t hat could result in deformat ion of t he backing,
a limit ed variat ion in t emperat ures and humidit ies is recommended. (See Figure 6.)

St orage at high t emperat ures ( > 74° F; > 23° C) increases t ape pack t ight ness. This result s in
dist ort ion of t he t ape backing and an increase in permanent dropout s as wound-in debris is forced
int o t he t ape magnet ic layer. Many layers of t ape before and aft er t he debris can be affect ed by
impressions of t he debris. Layer t o layer adhesion, known as t ape blocking, also can result aft er
long t erm st orage at elevat ed t emperat ures.

St orage at high humidit y ( > 70% RH) result s in increased degradat ion of t he binder as a result of
t he higher moist ure cont ent of t he t ape pack. High humidit ies will also cause increased t ape pack
st resses as t he t ape absorbs moist ure from t he air and expands, causing dist ort ion of t he t ape
backing and an increase in permanent dropout s.

Fungal growt h is also possible at high humidit ies and t emperat ures. Molds can live off t he binder
polymer and added component s. This is yet anot her cause of binder breakdown in high humidit ies.
Hairy growt hs at t he edges of t he t ape are a sign of mold. The spores t hat are produced on t his
fuzz can get ont o t he t ape surface and cause many dropout s.

Changes in bot h t emperat ure and humidit y can also cause mist racking problems on helical scan
recordings (See Sect ion 2.4: Format Issues: Helical versus Longit udinal Scan Recording).
Subst rat es will expand or shrink wit h changing t emperat ure and humidit y just as met als do in heat
or cold. The subst rat e films are not complet ely balanced in t heir react ion t o t hese changes in
t emperat ure and humidit y. In ot her words, t hey st ret ch and shrink different ly in lengt h and widt h
direct ions. This causes a change in t he angle of t he recorded helical scan t racks. Most of t hese
changes are recoverable by ret urning t o a t emperat ure and humidit y close t o t he one at which t he
t ape was recorded. However, heat can also cause premat ure aging of t he subst rat e in t he form of
nonrecoverable shrinking and st ret ching.
Figure 6. Temperat ure and Humidit y Condit ions and Risk of Hydrolysis This figure depict s t he
effect s of humidit y and t emperat ure and shows t hat 15 ± 3° C (59 ± 5° F) and 40% maximum
relat ive humidit y (RH) are safe pract ical st orage condit ions. A similar diagram appears in ISO TR
6371-1989 t hat suggest s even more st ringent condit ions (RH 20% max.) for long-t erm st orage of
inst rument at ion t apes. (Source: Ampex. Reprint ed wit h permission.)

Variations in Temperature and Humidity

Generally, t he t emperat ure and humidit y in a t ape st orage facilit y are set t o specific values, or set
point s, and infrequent ly varied or adjust ed. This does not mean t hat t he t emperat ure and humidit y
in t he facilit y are invariant . Changes in t he out door t emperat ure and humidit y will cause t he
t emperat ure in t he t ape st orage facilit y t o vary slight ly.

If t he t emperat ure out doors is higher t han t he set point t emperat ure in t he facilit y, t he act ual
t emperat ure in t he facilit y will be slight ly higher t han t he set point . If t he out door t emperat ure is
lower t han t he set t emperat ure, t he act ual facilit y t emperat ure will be lower t han t he set point .
The variat ions in t emperat ure experienced will be larger at larger dist ances from t he t hermost at
in t he facilit y. The same logic applies t o t he humidit y level in t he facilit y. Larger discrepancies in
t he set point and t he act ual t emperat ure will be observed if one of t he walls of t he facilit y is an
ext erior wall, or if t he heat ing/cooling capacit y of t he environment al cont roller is less t han t hat
required t o properly cont rol t he t ape archive.

The set point in a t ape archive may be const ant , but t he archive will st ill experience some degree
of daily and seasonal variat ions in t emperat ure and humidit y. A t ape archivist must have
knowledge of t he set point s in t he archive as well as t he variat ions in t emperat ure and humidit y
t o ensure t hat t he archive complies wit h recommended st orage condit ions.

Variat ions in t emperat ure and humidit y can cause t ape problems. Tape packs are wound under a
considerable amount of t ension. This is necessary t o maint ain t he shape of t he t ape pack. A reel
of t ape can be permanent ly damaged if t he t ape pack t ension is t oo high or t oo low. If t he
t ension is t oo high, t he t ape backing can st ret ch. If t he t ension get s t oo low, t ape layers can slip
past each ot her, result ing in pack slip, cinching, or popped st rands on playback (see Figure 7).
Relaxat ion of t he t ape backing can also occur if t he t ape pack t ension is not properly maint ained.
Relaxat ion, st ret ching, and deformat ion of t he t ape backing can cause mist racking of a videot ape
or sound dist ort ion on an audio t ape. Every t ime a t ape pack is heat ed or cooled, t he t ape pack
t ension will increase or decrease, respect ively. The best way t o reduce t he degree of t ape
backing dist ort ion is t o st ore magnet ic media in an environment t hat does not vary much in
t emperat ure or humidit y.

Figure 7. Bad Tape Wind Examples This figure shows schemat ic examples of popped st rands,
pack slip, and a flange pack. The illust rat ions show a cross-sect ion slice of t he t ape pack t hrough
t he hub.

Dust and Debris

Dust , smoke part icles, and t ape debris present in t he environment can get wound int o t he t ape
pack as t he t ape is played, result ing in dropout s when t he t ape is subsequent ly played. The lost
signal is generally great er t han expect ed from t he size of t he part icle. The record and read heads
must maint ain very close cont act wit h t he t ape. A part icle of dust on t he t ape causes t he head
t o ride up over t he part icle and lose cont act wit h t he t ape. For perspect ive on t he size of various
debris part icles compared t o t he normal head t o t ape spacing, see Figure 8.
Figure 8. Size of Tape Debris Relat ive t o t he Tape/Head Spacing This figure shows t he relat ive
size of debris commonly found on t apes and on recorders relat ive t o t he t ape-head spacing. It is
clear from t his diagram t hat even t he smallest airborne part icles can result in a dropout if t he
debris get s bet ween t he head and t he t ape.

Corrosive Gases
Pollut ed air is known t o cause problems wit h books, phot ographs, and works of art . Airborne
sulfides, ozone, and nit rous oxides can cause accelerat ed det eriorat ion of t hese object s.
Silverware and black and whit e phot ographs are blackened by airborne sulfides produced by t he
degradat ion of wool fibers, t he burning of coal, and bioeffluent s. Magnet ic t apes are no
except ion. They, t oo, are suscept ible t o corrosive gases in t he environment .

Exposure t o very low levels of corrosive gases represent at ive of urban office environment s has
been known t o cause corrosion on bare met al part icle (MP) and met al evaporat ed (ME) t apes. In
general, t hese t apes are cont ained in casset t es, and t he casset t e shells have been shown t o be
an effect ive armor against pollut ant s in t he environment . This corrosion problem is limit ed t o t he
met al based MP and ME t apes and is not a significant fact or in t he det eriorat ion of oxide t apes
(iron oxide, chromium dioxide, barium ferrit e).

If a t ape archive is known t o cont ain MP or ME based magnet ic t apes, and t he t ape archive is
sit uat ed in an environment charact erized by high levels of pollut ant s (e.g., downt own Los
Angeles), some precaut ions may be necessary t o ensure t hat t he level of chlorine and sulfides in
t he archive are at a sufficient ly low level. Air condit ioning syst ems may require special filt ers t o
remove pollut ant s if t he archive is locat ed in an urban environment .

 
Storage Recommendations
Current indust ry st andards recommend t hat mat erials be st ored around 65 – 70° F (18 – 21° C)
and 40 – 50% relat ive humidit y (RH) (Table 1). Unfort unat ely, t hese recommendat ions are based,
in part , on what is best for recording and playback, and what has hist orically proven t o be good for
film and paper st orage. They may not be t he best condit ions for t he long-t erm st orage of
magnet ic media. St andards commit t ees are beginning t o consider st orage condit ions specific t o
magnet ic t ape and are recognizing t hat magnet ic t apes benefit from st orage at t emperat ures
and humidit ies lower t han t hose recommended in t he past .

Agency/Researcher Date Temperature Relative Humidity

Cuddihy 1982 65°F ± 3°F 40% ± 5%
18°C ± 2°C
SMPTE (RP-103) 1982 70°F ± 4°F 50% ± 20%
21°C ± 2°C
NARA 1990 65°F ± 3°F 40% ± 5%
18°C ± 2°C

Table 1. Current Recommendat ions for Magnet ic Tape St orage Not e: These are general
recommendat ions t hat were being made in t he 1980s. St andards commit t ees are beginning t o
recognize t he benefit s of lower humidit ies and t emperat ures for t he long t erm st orage of
magnet ic t ape. The above condit ions may not be opt imal for preserving magnet ic t ape for as
long as is physically possible.

AES, ANSI, NARA, and SMPTE st andards commit t ees are coming t o recognize t hat organizat ions
have different st orage needs and requirement s. In some cases, informat ion older t han five years
is considered obsolet e. In ot her cases, informat ion needs t o be preserved in perpet uit y. The
opt imal st orage condit ions for each of t hese requirement s differs (Table 2). In t he case of short -
lived informat ion, st orage condit ions can be at or near t he room ambient condit ions of t he facilit y
in which t he t ape collect ion is housed. No special st orage facilit ies would be required, assuming
t hat t emperat ures st ayed bet ween 68 – 76° F (20 – 24° C) year round and humidit y never
exceeded 55% RH. For t he indefinit e st orage of informat ion, special st orage facilit ies would be
required t o maximize t he lifet ime of t he media. No medium last s forever, so t ranscript ion of
informat ion from old, det eriorat ing media t o new media would event ually be required; however,
st orage condit ions can be opt imized t o preserve t he current media copy of t he informat ion for as
long as possible.

Informat ion st ored at room ambient condit ions would be readily accessible and playable. On t he
ot her hand, informat ion st ored in deep archive condit ions would require a period of t ime t o
acclimat e t o t he condit ions of t he facilit y in which t he informat ion would be played back. As
such, t he st orage condit ion recommendat ions are generally referred t o as access st orage and
archive, or preservat ion, st orage.

Key Feature Access Storage Archival Storage

Funct ion To provide st orage for media t hat To provide st orage t hat preserves
allows immediat e access and playback. t he media for as long as possible.
Acclimat ion No. Yes.
required prior t o
playback?
Media Life At least 10 years when st ored at t he The maximum allowed for t he
Expect ancy indicat ed t emperat ure and humidit y part icular media t ype.
condit ions.
Temperat ure set At or near room ambient . In t he range: Significant ly lower t han room ambient .
point . 60 t o 74°F (15 t o 23°C). As low as 40°F(5°C).
Humidit y set point At or near room ambient . In t he range: Significant ly lower t han room ambient .
25 t o 55%RH. As low as 20%RH.
Temperat ure Difference bet ween maximum and Difference bet ween maximum and
variat ions minimum value should not exceed 7°F minimum value should not exceed 7°F
(4°C). (4°C).
Humidit y Difference bet ween maximum and Difference bet ween maximum and
variat ions minimum value should not exceed minimum value should not exceed
20%RH. 10%RH.

Table 2. Key Feat ures of Access and Archival St orage of Magnet ic Tape Informat ion represent s
a general summary of condit ions being proposed in draft s of st orage recommendat ions by
SMPTE, ANSI, AES, and ot hers.

Access st orage condit ions are recommended for t hose mat erials t hat need immediat e access
for playback purposes and for informat ion t hat has a funct ional lifet ime of t en years or less.
Access st orage condit ions are close t o t he t emperat ure and humidit y condit ions of t he playback
facilit y – generally room ambient condit ions. The single, one-size-fit s-all st orage condit ion
recommended for magnet ic t ape in t he 1980s and early 1990s generally fit t he cat egory of
access st orage.

Archival st orage condit ions are recommended for mat erials t hat need t o be preserved as long as
possible. The condit ions are specifically designed t o reduce t he rat e of media det eriorat ion
t hrough a lowering of t he t emperat ure and humidit y cont ent of t he media. The t emperat ure and
humidit y are also t ight ly cont rolled t o reduce t he deformat ion of t he t ape pack as a result of
t hermal and hygroscopic expansion/cont ract ion.
Considerable cost is normally involved in maint aining a t emperat ure/humidit y cont rolled archive.
However, as ment ioned elsewhere in t his report , t he qualit y of care a magnet ic t ape receives
should be commensurat e wit h t he perceived value of t he informat ion cont ained on t he t ape. If
t he informat ion st ored on t he t ape is of great value and must be preserved indefinit ely, t his could
just ify t he cost of purchasing and maint aining t he recommended archive facilit y. See Sect ion 4.1:
Tape Cost s and Longevit y for more informat ion.

Removal of Magnetic Tapes from Archival Storage

Tapes cannot be immediat ely removed from archival st orage condit ions and played on a recorder.
Time must be allowed for t he t apes t o equilibrat e t o t he t emperat ure and humidit y of t he
recorder environment prior t o playback. This allows t he st resses in t he pack t o equalize and t he
t rack shapes (helical scan) t o ret urn t o normal. In t he case of very low t emperat ure st orage, it
may be necessary t o place t he t apes in an int ermediat e st orage environment first t o prevent
condensat ion of moist ure on t he t apes and reduce st resses on t he t ape pack t hat would be
int roduced by rapid t emperat ure changes.

In general, it is t he widt h of t he t ape t hat det ermines how rapidly it will come t o equilibrium. A
t ape t hat is t wice as wide will t ake four t imes as long t o st abilize t o t he new environment . Table
3 indicat es t he amount of t ime t hat should be allowed for t he t apes t o come t o equilibrium aft er
significant changes in t emperat ure and/or humidit y (“Heat and Moist ure Diffusion in Magnet ic
Tape Packs,” IEEE Transact ions on Magnet ics, 30 (2), March 1994: 237).

Tape Format Time for Temperature Acclimation Time for Humidity

Compact audio casset t e 1 hour 6 hours
1/4-inch reel-t o-reel 1 hour 1 day
2-inch reel-t o-reel 16 hours 50 days
VHS/Bet a casset t e 2 hours 4 days
8mm video casset t e 1 hour 2 days
U-mat ic casset t e 4 hours 8 days

Table 3. Acclimat ion Times for Magnet ic Media Removed from Archival St orage
A t ape t hat is st ored at a t emperat ure or humidit y t hat is significant ly below t hat of room
ambient condit ions must be allowed t o acclimat ize prior t o playback.

5.3 Refreshing of Tapes

In order t o maximize t heir useful life, t apes may require periodic refreshing. This is a nonst andard
t erm in t he t ape recording t rade t hat can refer t o t he ret ensioning or rerecording of t he t ape,
depending on t he communit y of t ape users. To avoid confusion, t he t erms ret ensioning and
rerecording are preferred t o refreshing.

Ret ensioning is normally recommended where prolonged t ape pack st resses could cause damage
t o t he t ape. Some manufact urers have recommended t hat t apes be unspooled and rewound at
regular int ervals (oft en t hree years) t o redist ribut e t ape st ress and prevent t ape pack slip,
cinching, and t ape backing deformat ion. For example, ret ensioning was oft en recommended for
large diamet er t ape reels, such as t he old t welve-inch quadruplex videot ape reels, so t hat t ape
st resses near t he hub of t he reel could be relieved. Some t ape user communit ies refer t o t he
process of ret ensioning as exercising t he t ape.

Rerecording requires t hat dat a be read from and writ t en t o t he same t ape periodically t o refresh
t he magnet ic signal and prevent dat a loss. Rerecording was employed primarily wit h some older
nine-t rack comput er t apes used in t he 1960s and 1970s t hat were suscept ible t o print t hrough.

Transcript ion, t he copying of one t ape t o anot her, has also been referred t o as refreshing.
Transcript ion is t he preferred t erm for t his process. Tapes purchased t oday generally ut ilize small
diamet er t ape reels and high coercivit y magnet ic pigment s so t hat t hey oft en do not require
ret ensioning or rerecording on a periodic basis. In some specific inst ances, t ape manufact urers
may st ill recommend t he periodic ret ensioning of t ape (see Ampex Guide in t he Appendix, for
example). It is best t o check wit h t he manufact urer t o det ermine if t ape ret ensioning is
necessary.

Finally, refreshing should not be confused wit h rest orat ion. Refreshing is a prevent at ive
maint enance procedure. Rest orat ion refers t o t he recondit ioning of a damaged or degraded t ape
in order t o allow playback. Rest orat ion is a repair or damage recovery procedure.

Contact

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cont act @clir.org