- Author
- Chin, J. W. | Byrd, E. | Embree, N. | Martin, J. | Tate, J. D.
- Title
- Ultraviolet Chambers Based on Integrating Spheres for Use in Artificial Weathering.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD Dow Chemical Corp., Midland, MI
- Journal
- Journal of Coatings Technology, Vol. 74, No. 929, 39-44, June 2002
- Keywords
- weather effects | artificial aging | coatings | integrating sphere | UV weathering | polymers
- Identifiers
- factors affecting reproducibility and repeatability of current UV chambers; unnatural exposure conditions; spatial irradiance uniformity; intergrating sphere; UL light source; specimen chambers
- Abstract
- Laboratory ultraviolet chambers (UV chambers) are the primary means for generating weathering data for a wide range of commercial products including coatings, elastomers, plastics, and polymeric composites. Over the years, numerous technical improvements have been made in the design, construction, and control of these UV chambers. However, the reproducibility of exposure results obtained from these chambers has remained elusive. The reproducibility of UV exposure results is affected not only by variability in the material itself and its response to exposure, but also by experimental and systematic errors. Experimental errors and material variability, which are present in all experiments, are random in nature and can be compensated for through the use of proper experimental designs.