Sticky-shed syndrome is a condition created by the deterioration of the binders in a magnetic tape, which hold the ferric oxide magnetizable coating to its plastic carrier, or which hold the thinner back-coating on the outside of the tape. This deterioration renders the tape unusable. Some kinds of binder are known to break down over time, due to the absorption of moisture (hydrolysis).
Reel of magnetic audiotape
The binder on this tape has deteriorated to the extent that the dark brown oxide layer, which holds the magnetic information, has come away from the clear polyester base, rendering the information unrecoverable.
Magnetic tape is a medium for magnetic storage made of a thin, magnetizable coating on a long, narrow strip of plastic film. It was developed in Germany in 1928, based on the earlier magnetic wire recording from Denmark. Devices that use magnetic tape could with relative ease record and playback audio, visual, and binary computer data.
7-inch reel of ¼-inch-wide audio recording tape, typical of consumer use in the 1950s–70s.
Compact Cassette
A VHS helical scan head drum. Helical and transverse scans made it possible to increase the data bandwidth to the necessary point for recording video on tapes, and not just audio.
Small open reel of 9-track tape
