ISO 18925:2008
(Main)Imaging materials — Optical disc media — Storage practices
Imaging materials — Optical disc media — Storage practices
ISO 18925:2008 establishes extended-term storage conditions for optical discs and provides recommendations concerning the storage conditions, storage facilities, enclosures and inspection for optical discs. It is applicable to discs made for audio, video, instrumentation and computer use.
Matériaux pour l'image — Milieux pour disque optique — Pratiques de stockage
General Information
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Standards Content (Sample)
INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 18925
Second edition
2008-10-15
Imaging materials — Optical disc
media — Storage practices
Matériaux pour l'image — Milieux pour disque optique — Pratiques de
stockage
Reference number
ISO 18925:2008(E)
©
ISO 2008
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ISO 18925:2008(E)
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ISO 18925:2008(E)
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction.v
1 Scope.1
2 Normative references.1
3 Terms and definitions .1
4 Environmental conditions .4
4.1 Humidity and temperature limits .4
4.2 Contaminants and gaseous impurities .4
4.3 Magnetic fields.4
5 Materials .5
6 Enclosures .5
6.1 General requirements .5
6.2 Labelling.5
7 Preparation.5
7.1 General .5
7.2 Acclimatization .5
8 Storage housing .6
9 Storage rooms .6
10 Fire-protective storage.7
11 Identification, inspection and cleaning.7
11.1 Identification .7
11.2 Inspection.7
11.3 Cleaning.8
Annex A (informative) Temperature-relative humidity relationship.9
Annex B (informative) Temperature and humidity acclimatization.10
Bibliography.11
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ISO 18925:2008(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies
(ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO
technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been
established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and
non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards
adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an
International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO 18925 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 42, Photography.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 18925:2002), of which it constitutes a minor
revision.
The following changes have been made to the first edition:
⎯ modification of definition 3.12 (life expectancy);
⎯ updating of normative and bibliographical references;
⎯ removal of the original Annex A.
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ISO 18925:2008(E)
Introduction
Use of optical disc material is becoming widespread in audio, video and computer applications. Preservation
of this information is becoming of increasing concern to society, particularly as the recorded information
becomes older and frequently of greater value to libraries, archives, museums, government agencies and
commercial organizations.
The stability of optical discs is dependent upon that of the complete system. This includes the stability of the
material itself, the equipment on which it is run and, in systems, upon the necessary software. ISO 18921
specifies a methodology for estimating the life expectancy of the CD-ROM. Other optical discs will be
addressed in future International Standards. These standards consider only the effects of temperature and
humidity and do not include other factors such as light, corrosive gases and particulates. International
Standards are not available on the life expectancy of hardware and the problems associated with hardware
wearing out or becoming obsolete.
It is advisable that optical disc users store discs under conditions that will extend their life and handle the
material so that it will not be subjected to stress and undergo physical breakdown during use. This
International Standard addresses the concerns of long-term storage.
A major component of a large number of optical discs is the polycarbonate substrate. Polycarbonate is a very
durable material, but it does absorb moisture and there is always an equilibrium between the ambient humidity
and the moisture content of the disc. Polycarbonate is susceptible to decomposition under certain conditions
and given a suitable catalyst.
The second component of most optical discs is the reflective layer. This layer is usually some highly reflective
metal such as aluminium, silver or gold. Each of these materials is subject to reaction with various chemicals
that can be found in the environment. Aluminium, for example, combines readily with oxygen to form
aluminium oxide. Silver combines with sulfur to tarnish and form silver sulfides. Gold is known to react with
chlorine to form gold chlorides.
A third component of these discs is some type of seal coat. This is typically a UV-cured polymer whose
purpose is to protect the reflective layer and any other material layers in the disc.
A fourth component, in the case of some recordable optical discs, is the dye layer. For magneto-optic or
phase change discs, additional layers are also included.
Regardless of the inherent stability of the various disc layers, it is known that good storage conditions will
extend the life of all optical discs. While a good storage environment cannot reverse any degradation that has
already occurred, it can slow down additional deterioration.
A single storage condition is described in this International Standard. This condition is intended for discs that
contain recorded information of long-term value. Various manufacturers’ studies indicate that the life
expectancy of well manufactured optical discs is in excess of 50 years under typical room ambient conditions
(see [1] and [2] in the Bibliography).
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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 18925:2008(E)
Imaging materials — Optical disc media — Storage practices
1 Scope
This International Standard establishes extended-term storage conditions for optical discs and provides
recommendations concerning the storage conditions, storage facilities, enclosures and inspection for optical
discs. It is applicable to discs made for audio, video, instrumentation and computer use.
Recommendations are general in nature and it is advisable that the manufacturer's cautions for specific
material be considered. Relaxation from these recommendations, whether before or after recording, will
generally result in shortened life expectancy.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO/IEC 15486:1998, Information technology — Data interchange on 130 mm optical disk cartridges of type
WORM (Write Once Read Many) using irreversible effects — Capacity: 2,6 Gbytes per cartridge
1)
NFPA 75, Standard for the Protection of Electronic Computer/Data Processing Equipment
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
blister
localized delamination that looks like a bubble
3.2
compact disc
CD
optical disc format in which the information layer is located at one surface of a substrate and the data can be
read by an optical beam
NOTE CD is the subject of IEC 60908.
3.2.1
compact disc-recordable
CD-R
recordable optical disc in which information can be recorded to certain areas in the compact disc format
NOTE Information can be recorded once and read many times.
1) Available from the National Fire Protection Association, 1 Batterymarch Park, P.O. Box 9101, Quincy, MA 02269-9101,
USA.
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ISO 18925:2008(E)
3.2.2
compact disc read-only memory
CD-ROM
optical disc to which information is transferred during manufacture to certain areas in the compact disc format
NOTE 1 Information can be read many times.
NOTE 2 CD-ROM is the subject of ISO/IEC 10149.
3.2.3
compact disc-rewritable
CD-RW
recordable optical disc in which information can be recorded to certain areas in the compact disc format
NOTE Information can be erased and new information recorded many times and read many times.
3.3
container
box, can or carton used for storage and shipping of recording materials
3.4
digital versatile disc
DVD
digital video disc (deprecated)
optical disc format in which one or more information layers are located between two substrates and the data
can be read by an optical beam
3.5
delamination
separation of a laminate into its constituent layers
3.6
dew point
temperature at which moisture begins to condense on a surface
NOTE See relative humidity (3.16).
EXAMPLE The more humid the air, the higher the dew point temperature.
3.7
enclosure
folder, envelope, sleeve or clam shell intended for physical protection against mechanical damage
3.8
extended-term storage conditions
storage conditions suitable for the preservation of recorded information having permanent value
3.9
fire-protective storage
facilities designed to protect records against excessive temperatures, water and other fire-fighting agents, and
steam developed by insulation of safes or caused by the extinguishing of fires and collapsing structures
3.10
insulated record container
storage box designed to withstand elevated temperatures and conforming to national standards and
regulations
3.11
isoperm lines
lines of constant life plotted as a function of temperature and relative humidity
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ISO 18925:2008(E)
3.12
life expectancy
LE
length of time that information is predicted to be retrieved in a system at 23 °C and 50 % relative humidity
(RH)
3.13
magnetic field intensity
level of the magnetic field at a point in space
3.14
medium
material on which the information is recorded
NOTE Plural is media.
3.15
MO disc
optical disc in which the information is recorded using magneto-optical technology in some specified format
NOTE Information can be recorded, read many times and overwritten many times.
3.16
relative humidity
RH
ratio, defined as a percentage, of the existing partial vapour pressure of water to the vapour pressure at
saturation
NOTE It is usually, but not always, equal to the percentage of the amount of moisture in the air to that at saturation.
3.17
storage environment
conditions for storing materials, i.e. temperature, relative humidity, cleanliness of facilities and atmospheric
pollutants
3.18
storage housing
physical structure supporting materials and their enclosures
NOTE It can consist of drawers, racks, shelves or cabinets.
3.19
system
combination of material, hardware, software and documentation necessary for recording and/or retrieving
information
3.20
WORM disc
optical disc in which the data in specified areas can be written only once and read multiple times by an optical
beam
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ISO 18925:2008(E)
4 Environmental conditions
4.1 Humidity and temperature limits
The average relative humidity of an extended-term storage environment shall be maintained between
20 % RH and 50 % RH. Cycling of relative humidity shall not be greater than ± 10 %. Ideally, the maximum
temperature for extended periods should not exceed 25 °C, and a temperature below 23 °C is preferable. The
peak temperature shall not exceed 32 °C. Generally, useful life will be increased by storing discs at low
temperature and low relative humidity, since chemical degradation is reduced at these conditions (see
Annex A). Storage of discs below −10 °C and below 10 % RH is not recommended.
Specific manufacturer’s recommendations, when available, should take precedence over the above general
recommendations.
For any facility, it is impossible to specify what the best relative humidity and storage temperature should be,
since it depends upon the value of the material, the past storage history, the length of time the disc is to be
kept, the size of the vault, the cost of various options and the climate conditions where the facility is located.
Lower temperatures within the specified relative humidity range can be difficult to achieve with normal
humidity air-conditioning equipment and may require a specialized installation. Automatic control systems are
recommended, and they shall be checked frequently enough to determine that the specified temperature and
humidity limits are not being exceeded. A reliable hygrometer can be used for humidity measurements.
Where air conditioning is not practical, high humidities may be lowered by electrical refrigeration-type
dehumidifiers controlled with a hygrostat. Inert desiccants, such as chemically pure silica gel, may be used,
provided the dehumidifier is equipped with filters capable of removing dust particles down to 0,3 µm in size
and is controlled to maintain the relative humidity within the specified range. Dehumidification may be required
in storage areas such as basements and caves which have inherently low temperatures but which frequently
exceed the upper humidity limit.
The recommended humidity and temperature conditions can be maintained either within individual storage
housings or within storage
...
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