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What's the heat threshold for vinyl?

DB_CooperDB_Cooper Manhatin' 7,823 Posts
edited January 2012 in Strut Central
If records aren't exposed to direct sunlight, how hot do they have to get to start warping/melting? More to the point, if you were to leave some in storage in a container that might get up to say, 120-130 Farenheit (metal container in desert-type conditions) for a while, would that be the end of those records, or would they make it through unscathed? Please to knowledge me. Serious businesses.

  Comments

  • OkemOkem 4,617 Posts
    According to wikipedia polyvinyl chloride's melting point is 100???260 ??C / 212-500 ??F

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyvinyl_chloride

    So they shouldn't melt, but that doesn't really mean they wont warp..
  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    Hard to say, but I would definitely be concerned.

    If you have to do it, pack them snugly, but not crammed, and don't unpack them until they have been in a more normal temp environment for at least 24 hours.
  • 4YearGraduate4YearGraduate 2,945 Posts
    It's approximately 120 degrees F. Records stacked horizontally will start dish warping on the top and bottom of the box quicker than vertically stacked vinyl. Middle of the bx might be fine, but in a 50 count box you might lose ten or 15 on either side. Direct sunlight, of course, is a whole different thing. This info comes courtesy of my friend Kevin, proprietor of Bill Smith Custom Vinyl.
  • DB_CooperDB_Cooper Manhatin' 7,823 Posts
    4YearGraduate said:
    It's approximately 120 degrees F. Records stacked horizontally will start dish warping on the top and bottom of the box quicker than vertically stacked vinyl. Middle of the bx might be fine, but in a 50 count box you might lose ten or 15 on either side. Direct sunlight, of course, is a whole different thing. This info comes courtesy of my friend Kevin, proprietor of Bill Smith Custom Vinyl.

    That is very good to know. Thanks err-body!
  • sabadabadasabadabada 5,966 Posts
    I always thought that high temps that didn't cause warping caused that phenomenon where the record gets all shiny but weird looking and when you put the needle down it just skates.
  • AlmondAlmond 1,427 Posts
    Lesson learned: don't let a flat iron near a record. Melts all stringy, and super fast.
  • SoundOutLoudSoundOutLoud 171 Posts
    I had a similar question about cold. I had a brand new record shipped during a winter storm, that came to me warped. I thought the weather had something to do with it, since extreme cold could cause the record to contract and on rewarming/expansion the record could end up warped.
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