Long term stabilities of magnetic tape for data storage in office environment

摘要

The long-term stability of magnetic particulate tapes was investigated using two formats of metal data cartridge tapes for data backup, both of which had been stored in a typical office environment for more than a decade. A more modern barium ferrite data cartridge tape was also used. Analysis by a vibrating sample magnetometer, surface roughness analyzer and friction tester were used to ascertain the magnetic and tribological properties, while gel permeation chromatography, gas chromatography were employed to analyze the stability of organic materials such as binder polymers and lubricants. The magnetic and tribological performance remained stable. Moreover, the degradation of organic materials was found to be less in the data cartridge tapes that were launched after the 2000s, including the more modern barium ferrite data cartridge tapes. These results confirm the long-term stability of data cartridge tapes, indicating a longevity that is in excess of 25 years.