Xenon Arc Exposure Test for Transportation Coatings as per ASTM D7869

Numerous important mechanism failures, such as color changes, gloss loss, photo oxidation, and delamination, can be replicated in the lab using ASTM D7869. The operational protocols for a controlled irradiance xenon arc light and water apparatus are used in this accelerated UV aging process. In addition to replicating water absorption and stress cycles that automobile exterior coatings are exposed to in the real world, a combination of lamps and optical filters creates irradiance that is equivalent to sunlight in the UV and visible spectrum.

This kind of accelerated aging also applies to environmental conditions encountered by vehicles like trucks, trains, and airplanes. For external transportation applications, such as automotive, ASTM D7869 is used to replicate the physical and climatic loads that a coating is subjected to in a subtropical region like Southern Florida. As long water exposures and wet/dry cycling are particularly critical for this deterioration, together with the high dose of solar radiation assessed by UV tests, this climate causes particularly severe deterioration of such coatings.