Test & Weathering

Sean Fowler discusses Q-Labs involvement in a new and potentially revolutionary weathering
standard, which has been published by ASTM International

ASTM Standard is a revolution in

weathering testing
new and potentially revolutionary weathering standard able xenon test chamber models. Recognising that this

A has been published by ASTM International. Titled

Xenon Arc Exposure Test with Enhanced Light and
Water Exposure for Transportation Coatings, ASTM D7869 is
hardware-based approach to test standards made progress
difficult, SAE took the important step in re-writing the stan-
dard. The updated version included a technically robust
the result of a decade of research by a consortium of leaders description of test conditions instead of listing particular
in the automotive, aerospace, coatings and weathering testing models and the required programming steps for each.
industries. The new standard was written by subcommittee The old SAE method was widely adopted despite not hav-
D01.27 on accelerated testing of paints and coatings. Douglas ing demonstrated good correlation to outdoor tests in south
Grossman, Subcommittee Chairperson and President of Q- Florida for some critical coating performance properties. For
Lab Corporation, calls ASTM D7869, The most thoroughly example, accelerated tests performed under the SAE
researched weathering test procedure ever developed. What method failed to produce delamination of coatings that
makes this new standard so special? experienced catastrophic and extremely costly failures on
consumers vehicles. J2527 does, however, generally corre-
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND late well to Florida test results for colour and gloss. Thus, in
To answer this question, it is important to look at todays the early 2000s, it appeared that xenon arc weathering was
most commonly used weathering test method in the auto- reasonably useful to coatings formulation chemists but it
motive coatings industry, SAE J2527. First published in needed a technological boost to accommodate the increas-
2004 to supplant SAE J1960, J2527 has been widely adopt- ing demands of the 21st Century.
ed and adapted by global OEMs and also is referenced by
numerous non-transportation industries. While both meth- RESEARCH PART 1:
ods shared the same test conditions, the old J1960 could IMPROVING THE LIGHT SPECTRUM
be performed in only a small number of commercially avail- This boost came from a series of projects throughout the
2000s, some of which had roots in the late 1990s. The ear-
liest of these projects took a careful look at the light spec-
The Q-SUN Xe-1 and Xe-3 xenon arc
testers are fully compliant with the new trum of the old SAE tests, which included ultraviolet light
ASTM D7869 standard wavelengths not present in natural sunlight. As perform-
ance-based standards began to replace older hardware-
based ones, xenon optical filter system definitions
emerged. The legacy optical filters of the old SAE tests,
often called Quartz/Boro filters, fell into a category called
Extended UV filters. Those having a better match to natu-
ral sunlight, such as the Daylight-Q optical filter from Q-Lab,
were classified as Daylight filters. The SAE tests were
revised to accept these more realistic optical filter types,
while continuing to reference the Extended UV type.
While these definitions provided a significant improve-
ment over the older standards, coatings experts were often
frustrated by a lack of reproducibility of results when using
various Daylight filters. Subtle differences in the short-wave
portion of the spectrum, especially the cut-on wavelength,
sometimes created different results when using a Daylight-Q
versus a Daylight B/B system, for example.
ASTM D7869 addresses this problem with a much tighter

Contact:
Q-Lab Europe, Ltd, Bolton, England
Tel: +44 1204 861616; Fax: +44 1204 861617; [email protected]; www.q-lab.com

16 PPCJ September 2013 www.coatingsgroup.com

 Test & Weathering

caused mainly by dew formation at night.

On days when maximum dew formation occurs, the early
morning hours cause the coatings to dry out as the sun
rises. The new cycle mimics this by transitioning from the
dark period to bright light with an intermediate step at rela-
tively low irradiance and black panel temperature. The black
panel temperature is 50C in this step because coatings in
Florida are nearly dry before they experience any tempera-
tures higher than this.
The cycle continues with a high temperature and irradi-
ance step to mimic the bright sunshine and heat of Florida,
followed by another low irradiance step to serve as a transi-
tion period similar to the end of the day, prior to night fall
and dew formation. Another dark period of water spray pre-
cedes a subcycle of short steps designed to cause rapid
thermal cycling. These steps were important in recreating
the cracking and delamination that some coatings experi-
Spectra of noon summer sunlight and vari- definition of the optical filter system. Based on work done by enced in the Florida exposures completed in this study. The
ous xenon arc Daylight filters, including the Ford and 3M Corporation, this new optical filter matches the subcycle ends with a period of darkness with no water spray
new Daylight-F. Inset highlights the irradi-
ance cut-on of each Daylight filter, showing spectrum of south Florida more closely than other Daylight and comparatively low temperature and relative humidity.
significant differences between them filters. They are currently sold under trade names Daylight- Excluding this relaxation period may cause excessive,
F and Right Light, although any manufacturer of xenon arc unnatural cracking or other unrealistic degradation.
weathering chambers is free to adopt the new spectrum.
NEW PERFORMANCE CRITERIA FOR XENON ARC
RESEARCH PART 2: TEST CHAMBERS
IMPORTANCE OF MOISTURE The research revealed some new performance criteria for
Although critical, the challenge of creating a better spectral xenon arc test chambers that were previously ignored or
match to Florida sunlight was simple compared to the under-emphasised in test standards. First, the water deliv-
daunting task of re-creating Florida moisture in an acceler- ery system must be calibrated to ensure the chamber is
ated weathering chamber. Two of the companies that devel- capable of delivering enough water to the test specimens.
oped the new method were BASF and Q-Lab. They had pre- Without enough water, the benefits of the new cycle will go
viously worked together to develop a xenon arc method to unrealised and correlation to outdoor results will suffer.
reproduce acid etch of automotive clear coats, published as One of the researchers developed a simple yet repro-
ASTM D7356. During this work, much was learned about ducible method for measuring the water delivery, using a
measuring and characterising moisture from dew formation standardised sponge and weight scale. This method is
and rainfall in the harsh Florida climate. described in the standard.
Later, BASF partnered with Bayer to further investigate Also new is the requirement to reposition specimens in
the critical role of water in accelerated testing of automotive the chamber, regardless of the type of weathering tester.
coatings. As the research gained momentum, Boeing and The research demonstrated that uniformity of results is the
Atlas became active participants in the efforts led by Ford. result of a complex interaction of several factors not just
Honda of America, which had separately been doing similar light. In practical terms, this means that repositioning speci-
work, began sharing data and joined in the discussions. mens is critical in both rotating rack and flat array testers.
Moisture uptake of coated panels in Florida and their sub-
sequent drying outdoors proved to be driving factors of STATE-OF-THE-ART IN WEATHERING TESTING
degradation mechanisms previously unseen in the SAE ASTM D7869 is the fruit of years of research, discussions
accelerated method. The research showed that the SAE and experimentation. It represents a leap in weathering test-
J2527 cycle, despite extensive use of water spray and high ing technology because, for the first time, a laboratory test
humidity, failed to result in water uptake sufficient to mimic was able to replicate multiple degradation mechanisms in a
the Florida exposures. variety of coatings materials and systems. The new standard
holds the promise of accelerating product development by
RESEARCH PART 3: DEVELOPING THE NEW CYCLE providing fast and reliable results. When companies have
Although the emphasis in xenon arc testing is usually on the confidence that their laboratory results match what will
light exposure, the new cycle starts with a four-hour dark occur in their products actual service life, they can speed
period with water spray and high humidity. The duration up development of more durable, cost-effective and envi-
and temperature were chosen because they achieved the ronmentally friendly products. Weathering testing is now
maximum amount of water uptake that was seen in the ready for the 21st Century.
Florida exposures. This happens at night with clear skies, ASTM D7869 is available for purchase at www.astm.org.
Sean Fowler joined Q-Lab in 1999 and has
when maximum dew formation occurs. A critical departure For a limited time, Q-Lab Corporation has purchased elec-
served in roles in service, sales and cur- from the SAE J2527 cycle is the absence of any water spray tronic copies of the new standard and is distributing them on
rently is a Technical Marketing Specialist,
spending much of his time working in during light exposure. Water spray occurs only during dark a complimentary basis to customers.
standards organisations.
portions of the cycle, again because wetness in Florida is Visit www.q-lab.com/newASTM for details.

Visit www.polymerspaintcolourjournal.com
17 PPCJ September 2013 www.coatingsgroup.com
for more information.