Many of the corrosion tests performed these days are ‘accelerated life’ tests. These tests take into consideration the aspects of a normal environment in which the specimen to be tested will exist, and then those aspects are magnified and intensified in order to vastly increase the rate of damage.
Two ASTM standards were applied in the UV testing performed at Touchstone Labs in Tridelphia, WV: ASTM G154-06 and ASTM G151-00. These two tests were requested and paid for by one of the largest utility holding corporations in the USA, prior to submitting Storm Greeter for testing at EPRI.
From ASTM – “This practice (G154-06) covers the basic principles and operating procedures for using fluorescent UV light, and water apparatus intended to reproduce the weathering effects that occur when materials are exposed to sunlight (either direct or through window glass) and moisture as rain or dew in actual usage. This practice is limited to the procedures for obtaining, measuring, and controlling conditions of exposure.”
The G151-00 – “This practice provides general procedures to be used when exposing nonmetallic materials in accelerated test devices that use laboratory light sources. Detailed information regarding procedures to be used for specific devices are found in standards describing the particular device being used.”
Since this presentation was purely technical, the word ‘Plastisol’ was used to replace Storm Greeter,
just as the word ‘polyurethane’ was inserted instead of the product name.
This image shows the results from the sheen, or reflectivity, test performed after the end of the 30 day UV test. The greater the loss of reflectivity, the more damage was done during the UV test.
A representative from the polyurethane company was present when this slide was shown. He pointed out to those in attendance that his product would have performed as well as, or better than, Storm Greeter if we had applied the recommended UV protectant to his coating before the test.
Storm Greeter didn’t have a UV protectant applied before the test. This test was done before UV inhibitors were introduced to the Storm Greeter formulation.