ACCELERATED TESTING | MATERIALS
Accelerated testing aims to quickly estimate how long a plastic material will survive in real-world conditions exposed to environmental factors such as heat and light. Jennifer Markarian reports
Speeding the route to material insight
Reliable assessment of the long-term durability of plastics is an essential, but not simple, task. And, of course, that assessment frequently has to be made quickly using testing tools that deliver results fast. Fortunately, accelerated testing methods have increased in sophistication over the years, as equip- ment suppliers and users have gained a deeper understanding of the complex interactions of environmental conditions — including the com- bined effects of light, temperature, moisture and chemicals — on plastics degradation. Accelerated test methods enable comparison of additive formulations designed to protect plastics from degradation and, within an appropriate context, can be used to estimate service life. Many have been highly studied in attempts to create methods that correlate accurately to real-world conditions. While outdoor weather conditions are particu- larly harsh on plastics, indoor light exposure (such as inside a car or building) is also a significant concern, so the light source is a key variable. Both
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fluorescent UV and xenon arc lamps are widely used in weathering systems. While xenon arc lamps produce a full light spectrum, filters can be added to block certain wavelengths to simulate specific conditions, such as light coming through a window. North American firm Eye Applied Optix, which is a division of Iwasaki Electric’s EYE Lighting International subsidiary, offers an alternative lamp technology that is said to further accelerate weather testing of plastics. The Super UV (SUV-W161) test chamber uses Iwasaki’s metal halide light source, which is said to achieve a higher UV irradiance than both fluorescent UV and xenon lamps. The Super UV technology uses filters to prevent
heating by far visible and infrared light and to remove the short UV wavelength not present in natural sunlight. Results have been shown to correlate to accelerated testing with a xenon lamp and to outdoor data, says Doug Vermillion, Director of Eye Applied Optix. Chambers using the technol- ogy can decrease the amount of time needed for
December 2021 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 57
Main image: Accelerated testing is
allowing faster and more reliable prediction of the impact of weathering on plastics
IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK
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