Effects of magnetic states in recording media on moisture adsorption and surface hydrophobicity

Abstract In magnetic data recording, humidity is the most dangerous environmental factor that affects the stability of storage media carriers. It will lead to the magnetic media deterioration and also adversely affect the tribological performance at the head–disk interface. At every data bit of recording, the transition area in a longitudinal recording media has a near-perpendicular magnetic direction, either at north or south magnetic polarity. This investigation showed that a perpendicularly magnetized floppy disk at the south polarity was able to retain and adsorb water molecules into its coating media. The north polarity was found to have shown the exact opposite effect. As a result of this phenomenon, the physical surface condition and the surface hydrophobicity of a magnetized floppy disk has been affected. The interaction with moisture from the south-polarized disk could become ideal sites for fungus growth, which eventually affects the carrier's stability and its tribological performance.