Is this the solution to LP static issues?? Seems to be!


Last night i was listening to a superb original RCA white dog pressing of Lena Horne and Harry Belafonte ( if you can source this, i highly recommend it!) 
I noticed that all of my prior LP's were exhibiting considerable static attraction to my felt mat on my LP12. Not this one!!! How come, since the LP was played at the same time as the others, in the same system, the same room temperature etc.?? I noticed on the cover of the album the following large sticker: Miracle Surface, This record contains the revolutionary new antistatic ingredient, 317X, which helps keep the record dust free, helps prevent surface noise, helps insure faithful sound reproduction on Living Stereo.  

Whatever this additive is that was put on this album back in 1959 sure works well!! Anyone know what 317X is?? Why are we NOT using this stuff today??
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@audioguy85  While the felt mat probably does allow for more static build up, the issue was non-existent with the felt mat and the 317x treated RCA white dog. I happen to think that the original equipment felt mat is better sounding than any aftermarket mat I have tried on the LP12, including a leather mat. YMMV.
I wipe clean all of my LP’s prior to playback with ‘ahp Klangtuch IV’ microfiber cloth which helps eliminate electrostatic charges.
In 1983 I treated my Records with SoundGuard. Spray it on, used a special brush to spread it evenly. 

I still have those records. They repel dust like no one’s business. Very slick, too. They’ve all been washed. The treatment is permanent.  I still use a lint brush before playing. You can feel how slick they are, and they don’t attract dust anywhere close to normal records. They sound great also.
If you are at all interested, the details of Miracle Surface are addressed in the following RCA Engineer Magazine 1960 Oct/Nov - see article Anti-Static Phonograph Records,  1960-10-11.pdf (worldradiohistory.com) . The ingredient is a cationic surfactant that is blended into the record so that some quantity is on the record surface. It functions by absorbing moisture from the air to form a water-film on the record which causes the record to be 'dissipative' so it does not collect/retain a static charge.  

RCA's last Record Patent 3,960,790 1498409551006799538-03960790 (storage.googleapis.com)  addresses use of a similar  "Catanac 609 Antistatic Agent' that is a cationic surfactant.

The anti-static ingredient can over time be leached enough from the surface (i.e. - wet brush clean every use) to exhaust the reservoir. All anti-static surface treatments with any lasting effects all use some form of a cationic surfactant to leave a film on the record. Any number of debates on to the wisdom of this approach.

There is 'some' reason to believe that the record compounders may be able to now produce a record formulation using graphene or other advanced ingredients to formulate a record that is essentially forever 'dissipative' and anti-static without use of cationic surfactants.
@antinn Thanks for the research, that is very helpful. It seems that the coating is a Catanac Sn product that was mixed with the vinyl. Very interesting that there was some concern given to the fact that consumers should NOT have to deal with static build up in the LP that would be an ongoing concern for all from the start of manufacturing on. Impressive that RCA and perhaps others in 1959 were attempting to address the issue. Odd that no one today seems to concern themselves about it...in the record manufacturing industry that is. Perhaps RCA’s patent is still applicable, although I would have thought it would be in the public realm by now...but maybe not??