Xenon lamp aging test for automotive exterior plastics according to ISO4892-1

With the development of the automotive industry, automotive exterior parts, as an important component of the entire vehicle, have a direct impact on the vehicle‘s service life and user experience due to their performance stability. Plastic materials are widely used in automotive exteriors, but long-term exposure to natural environments, especially factors such as ultraviolet rays from sunlight, humidity, and temperature changes, can lead to issues such as material aging, discoloration, and cracking. Based on this, the weather resistance evaluation of automotive exterior plastics is particularly important. The ISO 4892-1 xenon lamp aging test provides a standard test method that simulates natural light and environmental factors, enabling precise evaluation of the durability of materials.

Test purpose:
1. Simulate the ultraviolet radiation and climatic impacts that automotive exterior plastics experience in the natural environment, and predict the material‘s service life and performance changes.
2. Evaluate the UV resistance of plastic materials to prevent mechanical performance degradation, appearance changes, and functional failure caused by aging.
3. Provide scientific basis for automotive parts design and material selection, and assist in product improvement and quality control.

Introduction to testing standard: ISO4892-1
ISO4892-1 is a general specification for the light aging resistance test of plastic materials, encompassing exposure testing that simulates natural light using a xenon lamp as the light source. This standard specifies the construction of test equipment, the setting of test conditions, and the control methods for the testing process, ensuring the reproducibility and scientific validity of test results.

The main contents of the standard include:
1. The wavelength range and spectral distribution requirements of the xenon lamp light source are to simulate the ultraviolet and visible light of sunlight.
2. The placement of the test sample, as well as temperature and humidity control, simulates complex conditions in a real environment.
3. The experimental cycle plan, including alternating settings of exposure time and dark and humid conditions, reflects diurnal climate changes.
4. Testing methods for changes in material properties, such as color difference, glossiness, and physical and mechanical property tests.

Test equipment and technical parameters:
1. Light source type: Xenon arc lamp, simulating the standard spectrum of sunlight, with a wavelength range of 280~800nm
2. Irradiance: approximately 0.35~0.55W/m²/nm (340nm)
3. Temperature control: The temperature of the blackboard is controlled at 63±3°C, and the temperature of the sample is adjustable
4. Humidity control: The humidity during the dark cycle is typically set at 50~70%RH
5. Cyclic setting: alternating between a light cycle and a dark, high-humidity cycle (e.g., 102 minutes of indoor exposure, followed by 18 minutes of dark and humid conditions)
6. Sample size: 75x150mm or as per the standard requirements

Detailed explanation of testing steps:
1. Sample pretreatment: Clean the plastic sample of the automobile exterior to be tested, label it, and dry it until it reaches a constant weight.
2. Installing the test sample: Fix the test sample on the test frame, ensuring that the distance between the test sample surface and the light source is uniform.
3. Parameter setting: Set the parameters for light intensity, temperature, and humidity cycles based on material characteristics and customer requirements.
4. Startup test: Execute the xenon lamp aging cycle procedure, including alternating stages of light exposure and humidity.
5. Midway inspection: Observe the test sample according to the test plan, record any appearance changes, and conduct necessary performance tests.
6. Termination and evaluation: After the test is completed, the test samples are taken out for color difference measurement, surface condition assessment, mechanical property testing, etc.
7. Report preparation: Conduct a comprehensive analysis by combining test records and data to form a test analysis report.

Detection significance and application scenarios:
Plastic materials for automotive exterior parts face complex environmental challenges during long-term use. Xenon lamp aging test results intuitively reflect the light stability and weather resistance of materials, helping design engineers select more durable material formulations and surface treatment techniques. For the supply chain, rigorous aging tests improve product quality and reduce after-sales maintenance costs caused by aging. This test meets the certification requirements for complete vehicles and parts, and is an important part of quality control in the automotive industry.

Xenon lamp aging chamber：

Equipment Summary：
Xenon lamp aging testing machine is a comprehensive climate testing machine, in addition to climatic aging test, the light fastness of materials can be carried out to test, polymer materials exposed at simulated sunlight. It simulates the light, temperature, rainfall, condensing, humidity to test the materials; it can be used for choosing new materials, improving existing materials, or assessment of change in material composition;It is divided into air-cooled 2.5kw and water-cooled 6.5kw with water-cooled machine.

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