Benchtop Xenon Arc Weathering Tester
Designed for comprehensive evaluation of material durability under light exposure and environmental changes, this tester features efficient xenon lamp driving technology to accurately simulate natural climate conditions, enabling effective accelerated aging tests for your products in the shortest time. With user-friendly operation and minimal maintenance requirements, it ensures long-term stable performance, making it an ideal choice for material testing across various industries.
I. Product Applications
Xenon arc lamps simulating full-spectrum sunlight reproduce destructive light waves present in different environments, providing corresponding environmental simulation and accelerated testing for research, product development, and quality control. By exposing material samples to light and thermal radiation from xenon arc lamps, the aging test evaluates the light and weather resistance of materials under high-temperature light sources. It is widely used in industries such as automotive, coatings, rubber, plastics, pigments, adhesives, textiles, aerospace, marine, electronics, and packaging.
This xenon weathering tester can be used for selecting new materials, modifying existing materials, or evaluating changes in durability after material composition adjustments. It effectively simulates the changes materials undergo when exposed to sunlight under various environmental conditions.
II. Test Standards
1. Chinese National Standards (GB)
- GB/T 14522-93: Accelerated Weathering Test Methods for Inks, Coatings, Plastics, and Rubber Materials in Mechanical Industrial Products
- GB/T 2423.24-95: Test Methods for Simulating Solar Radiation on Ground Surfaces
- GB/T 16422.1/2: Plastics—Methods of Exposure to Laboratory Light Sources (General Guidelines + Xenon Arc Lamp)
- GB/T 1865: Paints and Varnishes—Artificial Weathering (Xenon Arc Radiation)
- GB/T 8427: Textiles—Color Fastness to Artificial Light: Xenon Arc
- GB/T 16259: Accelerated Aging Test Methods for Building Materials Under Artificial Climate Conditions
- GB/T 12831: Rubber, Vulcanized—Xenon Lamp Aging Test Methods
- GB/T 16991: Textiles—Color Fastness to High-Temperature Artificial Light and Anti-Aging Performance
2. International Standards
- ASTM G151 / G155: Standard Practice for Exposing Nonmetallic Materials in Accelerated Test Devices
- ASTM D3424 / D5071 / D6695: Test Methods for Xenon Arc Exposure of Printing Inks, Plastics, and Coatings
- ISO 4892-2: Plastics—Methods of Exposure to Laboratory Light Sources—Xenon Arc Lamps
- ISO 11341: Paints and Varnishes—Artificial Weathering (Xenon Arc Lamp)
- SAE J2527: Accelerated Exposure of Automotive Exterior Materials Using a Controlled Irradiance Xenon Arc Apparatus
- SAE J2412: Xenon Arc Exposure of Automotive Interior Materials
III. Test Specifications for Benchtop Xenon Arc Weathering Tester
1. Core Test Elements and Requirements
1.1. Light Source and Irradiance Control
- Light Source Type: Typically uses xenon arc lamps with spectra close to sunlight (280–800 nm, covering UV, visible, and near-infrared bands). Some standards require filtering specific wavelengths (e.g., using optical filters to simulate direct sunlight or sunlight through glass).
- Irradiance Range: Set based on material type and test purpose. Common ranges include 0.35–1.2 W/m² (340 nm band, UV region) or 0.5–3.0 W/m² (420 nm band, visible region). Regular calibration (e.g., using a radiometer) is required, with deviations generally within ±5%.
- Lamp Replacement: Replace when cumulative usage reaches the specified limit (e.g., 1000 hours) or when spectral stability declines.
1.2. Temperature Control
- Black Panel Temperature (BPT) / Black Standard Temperature (BST): Simulates heat absorbed by material surfaces. Typically controlled at 40–100°C (e.g., 63°C or 89°C in ISO standards), with deviations ≤ ±2°C.
- Chamber Air Temperature: Ambient temperature, generally 5–10°C lower than BPT, with deviations ≤ ±3°C.
1.3. Test Cycles and Duration
- Cycle Settings: Common modes include "light + dark," "light + moisture," etc. For example, "102 minutes of light (dry) + 18 minutes of light (wet)" (per SAE J2527) or "24 hours of continuous light," as specified by standards.
- Test Duration: Set based on material weather resistance requirements, ranging from tens to thousands of hours (e.g., 500–1000 hours for automotive interior materials, 2000+ hours for outdoor building materials). Cumulative effective light exposure time must be recorded.
1.4. Sample Preparation and Placement
- Sample Dimensions: Cut to fit the sample holder size, typically 50 × 100 mm or 100 × 150 mm. Ensure surfaces are flat and undamaged, with at least 3 samples (for averaging results).
- Placement Requirements: Samples should be parallel to the light source at a uniform distance (usually 200–300 mm). Avoid mutual shading, and cover non-test areas with masking plates.
1.5. Post-Test Evaluation Metrics
Evaluation items depend on material type and may include:
- Appearance Changes: Discoloration (measured using gray scale or color difference meter ΔE), cracking, chalking, wrinkling, peeling, etc.
- Performance Changes: Retention rates of tensile strength, elongation at break, gloss, hardness, electrical properties, etc.
- Weight Changes: Weight gain or loss (applicable to coatings, plastics, etc.).
