Accelerated weathering device for service life prediction for organic coatings

A new weathering device was designed and constructed for conducting accelerated tests on coatings for life data analysis. The commercial device was equipped with eight separate thermally insulated chambers, where eight weathering tests can be carried out simultaneously. The following stress types important for polymer ageing can be controlled in the apparatus: UV, temperature, humidity and pollutants. The apparatus, together with the Service Life Prediction methodology, have already been successfully tested for the degradation of aircraft coatings regarding loss of gloss, where sulfuric acid aerosol was used to simulate the post-eruption stratosphere conditions. Instead of sulfuric acid aerosol, acid rain, sodium chloride or other salts or gaseous pollutants could be added. This is, as far as we know, a truly unique instrument and it opens many new opportunities for the future of artificial weathering of coatings.