The diesel tanks made of two different PE materials were treated with UV fluorescent lamps. The weathering period was 500 hours. To evaluate the aging, impact bending tests were carried out in accordance with DIN EN ISO 179-1:2010-11 before and after weathering.
For many products, the technical application requires them to be resistant to artificial weathering, particularly UV radiation. "Resistant" is understood to mean meeting the respective product requirements, even if age-related changes such as discoloration or loss of shine occur, which make the product appear defective to the customer.
According to DIN 50035, ageing refers to the totality of irreversible chemical and physical processes that occur in a material over time.
In practice, technical products can be exposed to weathering for years in the open air or behind window glass. Since the results of weathering tests depend heavily on the location, climate, season and geographical location, artificial weathering offers significant advantages in assessing weather resistance. Controlled conditions such as constant irradiance, temperature, humidity and rain cycles allow meaningful results to be achieved quickly and regardless of location.
The choice of a suitable test method depends largely on the quality of the simulation of solar radiation. Xenon arc lamps equipped with special filters have proven to be particularly suitable because they precisely simulate global radiation. The UV and short-wave VIS range is used for the aging of plastics, which is simulated using UV fluorescent lamps as a radiation source. According to DIN EN ISO 4892-3, UV fluorescent lamps are used here, whose emission in the UV range (below 400 nm) accounts for at least 80% of the total radiation.
Results of the impact bending tests:
- Initial state: 56,4 kJ/m²
- Condition after weathering: 57,2 kJ/m²
For both PE materials, no significant change in the impact strength could be detected after a weathering period of 500 hours. This confirms that the materials used have sufficient aging resistance for the planned application.
Do you have any questions about the artificial weathering of plastics or do you need corresponding laboratory tests?
