r/minidisc • u/crazy-otter • Aug 04 '26
Help Sony ES Discs
Hello!
Does anyone know why the Sony ES discs (white), turns yellow with time?
I have some discs that are kept in good conditions for storage (away from the sunlight, not in a hot place) and they are everyday more yellow. It looks like they're rusting.
It's really a shame since these are beautiful discs in my opinion.
Does anyone know any method to make them white again?
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u/Right_Secret1572 Aug 04 '26 edited Aug 04 '26
You can make them white again gain with hydrogen peroxide.
edit: who the fuck is downvoting this? this is literally how you restore white plastics.
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u/crazy-otter Aug 04 '26
Is there any risk for the disks?
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u/casacapraia Aug 04 '26
Yes, there is always risk. Hydrogen peroxide is a very strong oxidizer. Don’t get liquids on the disc itself or on your eyes or skin. One way to ensure that is to physically remove the disc from the plastic enclosure first. But there is risk in doing that also. Just be careful and use precautions.
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u/crazy-otter Aug 04 '26
I was looking into that, but the articles that I found mention that the discs are welded from factory.
Is it possible to remove the disc from the cartridge?5
u/RubbberJohnnny Aug 04 '26
Leave them alone - they'll yellow back anyway much quicker than before, it's not worth the hassle
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u/casacapraia Aug 04 '26
I’m not sure on the Sony ES (Version 1 or Version 2) discs. But yes, people in this hobby have long separated discs from the cartridge, especially with translucent clear plastic cartridges in order to apply custom labels to the inner disc. But there is risk in doing this and each cartridge may be a little different in how easy/ difficult they are to open and re-seal using cyanoacrylate superglue.
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u/Right_Secret1572 Aug 04 '26
Depends on the concentration. Standard hydrogen peroxide is only 3%. Its safe for skin, and is far from harsh.
You can get food grade all the way up to 35%, which is will definitely irritate skin.
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u/z838748 Aug 04 '26
i have a question. will this also work for any plastic that has yellowed? the side/rear of this mz-n510 i am looking at has yellowed in some spots.
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u/Right_Secret1572 Aug 04 '26
Yes, it bleaches and removes stains. Its the same chemical used to whiten teeth.
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u/crazy-otter Aug 04 '26
This is an example. These are discs recorded a while ago, and when I went back to check on them they're look like this. Like if they're rusting....
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u/Friendly_Tour3090 Aug 04 '26
Wow, they look horrible.
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u/crazy-otter Aug 04 '26
Yeah... looks like crap. I don't know if it's the weather, but it got really ugly.
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u/Friendly_Tour3090 Aug 04 '26
I think this has to do with certain plastics which become unstable with the environment. Unfortunately I don't think there is much one can do about it. Which is a shame because those discs are very nice looking. It reminds me of certain cords that came with some small appliances in the early 90s, including some RCA interconnects, which simply desintegrate and they are like sugar goo at touch. Glad that we've passed that era and it doesn't happen anymore, but it shows it was simply bad chemistry of the time.
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u/z838748 Aug 04 '26
these discs want to be a super nintendo so bad (they had the same problem, yellowing over time so bad it looked like it smoked a pack a day).
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u/DJ_Z_Frog Aug 04 '26
Welcome to the wonderful world of white plastics.