Re: Degradation of mylar?

[paleo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx (Glen J. Kuban)]

I am not an expert on mylar, but from what I have read and seen, the problems 
associated with mylar-based media are not so much in the decay of the mylar 
itself, but to the separation and decay of the oxide or adhensive on the 
mylar, or to the magnetic decay (degredation of the magnetic states recorded 
on the oxide).  None of these problems as far as I know is due to decay of 
the mylar itself.

Glen Kuban
paleo@ix.netcom.com

Gary Rosenberg wrote: 
>
>In a posting on digital documents, B. Pettit mentioned "the degradation that
>comes with time on celluloid, mylar, etc." We have been putting specimen
>labels in mylar sheaths to protect them from abrasion, and to keep acidic
>labels away from specimens. How long does mylar last? What are the
>degradation products?  Are there alternatives to mylar?