Evaluating Weather Factors and Material Response During Outdoor Exposure to Determine Accelerated Test Protocols for Predicting Service Life

Published

March 18, 2009

Author(s)

Christopher C. White, R. S. Williams, Steve Lacher, Corey C. Halpin

Abstract

To develop service-life prediction methods for the study of sealants, a fully instrumented weather station was installed at an outdoor test site near Madison, Wisconsin. Temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, ultraviolet (UV) radiation at 18 wavelengths, and wind speed and direction are being continuously measured and stored. The weather data can be integrated over time to calculate the dose of the weathering factors. In the study reported here, sealant test specimens were installed in a specially designed apparatus that subjected them to weather-induced cyclic movement that forced a response. Load deflection information and weather were correlated to yield information on critical factors affecting the sealant performance. The results showed a clear link between the sealant response during weathering and the weather conditions causing this response. Instrumentation of the outdoor test facility and the data collection system are briefly described and methods for analyzing data are evaluated.

Citation

Service Life Prediction: Challenging the Status Quo

Publisher Info

Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology, Plymouth Meeting, PA

Pub Type

Book Chapters

Keywords

Weathering, outdoor testing, outdoor weathering, ultraviolet radiation, UV degradation, cyclic movement, cyclic testing, sealant, caulking compound

Citation

White, C. , , R. , Lacher, S. and Halpin, C. (2009), Evaluating Weather Factors and Material Response During Outdoor Exposure to Determine Accelerated Test Protocols for Predicting Service Life, Service Life Prediction: Challenging the Status Quo, Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology, Plymouth Meeting, PA (Accessed July 21, 2024)