Education

The Q-SUN Xe-2 rotating rack xenon arc test chamber reproduces the damage caused by full-spectrum sunlight and rain. In a few days or weeks, the Q-SUN Xe-2 tester can reproduce the damage that occurs over months or years outdoors. The Xe-2 tester is ...

The Q-SUN Xe-1 xenon arc chamber reproduces the damage caused by full-spectrum sunlight and rain. In a few days or weeks, the Q-SUN tester can reproduce the damage that occurs over months or years outdoors. The Q-SUN Xe-1 tester is a tabletop lightfa...

The QUV accelerated weathering tester reproduces the damage caused by sunlight, rain and dew. In a few days or weeks, the QUV UV tester can reproduce the damage that occurs over months or years outdoors. To simulate outdoor weathering, the QUV accele...

Background:  For a test in QUV we can choose between two conditions that give the same amount of total energy: Test A: Irradiance 0.65W/m2 for a time of 3000h.Test B: Irradiance 0.83W/m2 for 2500h.The testing samples are films, with a thick...

What Is Weathering?Weathering and LightstabilityWeathering refers to changes in material properties that result from exposure to the radiant energy present in sunlight, in combination with heat (including temperature cycling), and water in its variou...

This is a simple question, but unfortunately there is no simple answer. It is theoretically impossible to have a single "magic number" that you can multiply by weathering tester exposure hours to compute years of outdoor exposure. The problem is not ...

Q-Lab is pleased to announce that all QUV, Q-SUN, and Q-FOG weathering and corrosion testers with the Gen 4 Touchscreen Displays can now be operated in 17 different languages. This represents a major expansion of Q-Lab's industry-leading on-screen la...

Plastics, coatings, and other materials used outdoors are exposed to harmful UV light, high temperatures, and water in the form of dew and rain, which can cause a variety of physical and chemical degradation modes.One of the most common types of prod...

A recent episode of This Old House, an American TV series that highlights do-it-yourself home improvement tasks, examined the properties of Solar Reflective Asphalt Shingles. Part of the qualification for these shingles included a QUV accelerated wea...

Weathering test standards often include guidance on repositioning of test specimens. This is the practice of moving specimens to different locations within a test chamber over the course of a test. Q-Lab considers specimen repositioning a best practi...