What is UV aging and how to choose UV lamps

Selection of Light Sources for Fluorescent UV Lamps

UV-A: The main area causing polymer material aging between 315 and 400nm - UVA-340, which can be filtered out by window glass - UVA-351

UV-B: 280-315nm, including the shortest ultraviolet light that can reach the Earth's surface - UVB-313

UV-C: 100-280nm only exists in space beyond the atmosphere

UV aging simulates two types of light sources: UV-A and UV-B. The shorter the wavelength, the higher the energy content, and the more likely it is to break the chemical bonds of molecules.

Application scenarios of aging lamps with different wavelengths:

UVA-340: Comparative testing of different formulations, recommended for testing most plastics, textiles, coatings, pigments, and UV stabilizers

UVB-313: QC and R&D are the best, recommended for testing durability materials (such as roof materials, some external coatings, etc.)

UVA-351: Used to simulate UV light passing through window glass, recommended for testing some automotive interiors, textiles, ink, etc

1. What is UV aging

UV aging detection uses fluorescent ultraviolet lamps as the light source, and simulates the UV radiation and condensation in natural sunlight to conduct accelerated weathering tests on materials to obtain the results of their weather resistance. UV aging testing is widely applicable to non-metallic materials, organic materials (such as coatings, paints, rubber, plastics and their products), and to test the degree and condition of product and material aging under changes in weather conditions such as sunlight, humidity, temperature, condensation, etc.

2. Why do we need to conduct aging testing

After the product is placed in the atmosphere for a period of time, different problems may occur, such as changes in appearance, including cracking, spots, powdering, or color changes, and even a decrease in usability. The possible reason is that the loss of molecules in the resin leads to changes in the chemical bonds in the molecular structure, mainly caused by sunlight, industrial exhaust gases, bacteria, and so on. The aging performance of a product directly affects its service life, so the testing of aging tests is of great significance!

The atmospheric natural aging test is to place plastic samples on an exposure rack and directly withstand the synergistic effects of various factors such as sunlight, heat energy, atmospheric humidity, oxygen and ozone, and industrial pollution in a natural climate environment. The performance changes before and after the test are measured to evaluate the weather resistance of the material. The selection of the test site in the aging test can represent the most severe area of a certain type of climate, or the area close to the actual application of the material, The test site should be open and flat, with no obstacles around that may affect the test results. The test stand should face the equator and have an angle of 45 ° with the ground. When the main performance indicators of the sample have decreased to the minimum allowable value or below a certain critical retention rate in actual use, the test ends. In most cases, the test is terminated when the main performance indicators of the sample decrease to 50% of the initial value.

Due to the fact that the natural aging process is a slow process and varies greatly in different geographical environments, it brings about a significant impact on the evaluation of product aging resistance performance