Sure, binder polymers—usually cellulose acetate or polyester—are classic “heat‑sensitive” chemistries. At higher temperatures the rate of hydrolysis and oxidative scission climbs exponentially, following an Arrhenius trend, so you get more acetic acid or hydroperoxides in a few days versus a few months at room temp. That acid catalyzes further chain cleavage, the binder becomes brittle, and the magnetic coating can delaminate. In practice I’d set up a temperature‑controlled oven, sample the tape at set intervals, and run FTIR or gel permeation chromatography to track the shift in carbonyl peaks and molecular weight. The devil’s in the detail: even a 5 °C bump can double the degradation rate. If you want to keep those reels playable, store them near 5–10 °C with low humidity. But if you’re up for a risk‑taking experiment, try a controlled accelerated ageing study and see how the binder’s rheology changes—just keep a notebook, because those subtle changes tell the whole story.

Sounds like a solid protocol. I’ll cut a 10‑mm strip, seal it in a vacuum bag to keep moisture out, drop it into the cryo chamber set to 6 °C for 24 hours, then retrieve it for a quick FTIR. I’ll run a baseline at room temperature first so we can spot the exact shift in the C=O band. If the binder really “coughs,” we should see that peak broaden and maybe shift slightly lower. I’ll keep a detailed log of every minute; those micro‑spikes are the only way to catch the onset of acid attack. Let me know once you’re ready to start the cycle.