Ultraviolet aging test and xenon lamp weathering aging test are two common methods to evaluate material aging. They have some obvious differences in simulated environment, light source and test purpose. The differences between these two aging test methods will be discussed in detail in this paper.

1. Xenon lamp weathering simulation environment
Xenon lamp weathering mainly simulates the full sunlight spectrum, including ultraviolet light, visible light and infrared light. Xenon arc lamp can simulate the full spectrum of sunlight, xenon lamp aging test chamber can reproduce the destructive light waves in different environments. This method can be used both for the selection of new materials and for modifying existing materials or assessing changes in durability after changes in material composition.

Xenon lamp aging test is mainly used to test the weather resistance and light resistance of automobiles, coatings, rubber, plastics, pigments, adhesives, fabrics, etc. In the course of the test, the material samples were exposed to xenon arc lamp light and thermal radiation to carry out aging test, in order to evaluate the weatherability and light resistance of some materials under the action of high temperature light source.

Weathering resistance and UV aging of Xenon lamps — differences in light simulation

2. Uv aging simulated environment
The UV aging test chamber mainly simulates the ultraviolet rays in the sunlight. A fluorescent UV lamp was used as a light source to simulate the ultraviolet radiation and condensation in natural sunlight. This test method is mainly used for the weather resistance test of inorganic non-metallic materials, organic materials such as coatings, paints, rubber, plastics and their products.

Ultraviolet aging test can observe the discoloration or fading of materials in a short period of time, which is suitable for testing the degree of aging of products and materials under the change of climatic conditions such as sunlight, humidity, temperature, condensation and so on.

3. Differentiation and application
Although xenon arc radiation is the main aging test method in China, xenon arc radiation and ultraviolet aging test are widely used in foreign countries. The two methods are based on completely different principles for assessing the weatherability of materials.

Xenon lamp weathering test is to simulate the full spectrum of the solar spectrum, the purpose is to simulate the sunlight as fully as possible. The ultraviolet aging test focuses on the simulation of ultraviolet radiation in sunlight, and focuses on the damage effect of ultraviolet light on materials.

When selecting an aging test method, researchers need to decide which method to use according to the specific material properties and the use environment. Xenon weathering is suitable for materials that require a full simulation of the solar spectrum, while UV weathering tests are more focused on examining the effects of ultraviolet light on materials. Principle and operation points of vacuum drying oven