ASTM G155 Xenon-Arc Weathering
ASTM G155 is a standard test method for operating Xenon Arc light apparatus for exposure of non-metallic materials. This test method is used to evaluate the durability of materials exposed to simulated outdoor weathering conditions by subjecting them to xenon arc light radiation, temperature, and moisture in a controlled laboratory setting.
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- Overview
- Scope, Applications, and Benefits
- Test Process
- Specifications
- Instrumentation
- Results and Deliverables
ASTM G155: Xenon-Arc Weathering of Non-Metallic Materials Overview
ASTM G155 is the standard practice for operating xenon-arc light apparatus used to expose non-metallic materials to laboratory light sources that simulate outdoor weathering conditions. The method exposes specimens to controlled xenon-arc radiation, along with programmed cycles of temperature, humidity, and water spray, to reproduce the combined effects of sunlight, heat, and moisture encountered in natural outdoor exposure.
Xenon-arc lamps are used because their spectral output, when filtered appropriately, closely approximates the full spectrum of terrestrial sunlight, including UV, visible, and infrared wavelengths. This makes ASTM G155 results more broadly representative of natural weathering than fluorescent UV-only methods such as ASTM G154, which reproduce only the UV portion of the solar spectrum. ASTM G155 is widely used to predict the relative weatherability of coatings, plastics, rubber, textiles, and other organic materials before they are placed into outdoor or light-exposed service.
ASTM G155: Xenon-Arc Weathering of Non-Metallic Materials Scope, Applications, and Benefits
Scope
ASTM G155 applies to non-metallic materials, including:
- Coatings and paints — architectural, automotive, industrial, and protective coating systems
- Plastics and polymers — molded, extruded, and film products evaluated for color change, gloss loss, and mechanical property degradation
- Rubber and elastomers — materials subject to surface cracking, chalking, or hardness change from UV and thermal exposure
- Textiles and fibers — fabrics and coated textiles evaluated for colorfastness and strength retention
- Composite and construction materials — roofing, siding, and other building products exposed to sustained sunlight and moisture
Applications
- Material and formulation development — screening resin systems, pigments, stabilizers, and additive packages for UV and weathering resistance
- Product qualification and certification — generating weatherability data required for building codes, automotive specifications, and industry certifications
- Comparative product evaluation — ranking competing formulations or suppliers under identical simulated exposure conditions
- Service life prediction — correlating accelerated exposure results with field performance data to estimate expected service life
- Quality control — verifying that production batches maintain the weatherability performance established during qualification
Benefits
- Full-spectrum simulation — filtered xenon-arc output reproduces UV, visible, and infrared wavelengths, providing a closer match to natural sunlight than UV-only sources
- Controlled, repeatable exposure — precise control of irradiance, temperature, humidity, and water spray cycles allows consistent, reproducible results across test runs
- Accelerated timeframes — simulated exposure conditions compress years of outdoor weathering into weeks or months of laboratory testing
- Broad material applicability — a single test method accommodates coatings, plastics, rubber, and textiles, supporting cross-material comparisons
- Widely referenced and accepted — results are recognized across automotive, construction, packaging, and consumer product industries for specification and qualification purposes
ASTM G155: Xenon-Arc Weathering of Non-Metallic Materials Test Process
Prepare the Specimens
Cut or mould samples to the required size and mount them in the xenon-arc chamber.
1Set Up the Chamber
Select the required light, dark, spray, temperature, and humidity cycle.
2Run the Exposure
Expose the specimens for the specified duration, with interim checks where required.
3Evaluate and Report
Assess colour, gloss, cracking, chalking, and property retention, then document results against control specimens.
4ASTM G155: Xenon-Arc Weathering of Non-Metallic Materials Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Light Source | Xenon-arc lamp with optical filters to simulate terrestrial or window-glass-filtered sunlight |
| Applicable Materials | Coatings, plastics, rubber, textiles, and other non-metallic materials |
| Exposure Cycle Elements | Irradiance level, light/dark period, water spray, black panel/black standard temperature, chamber relative humidity |
| Typical Irradiance | 0.35 or 0.55 W/(m²·nm) at 340 nm (method/cycle dependent) |
| Black Panel Temperature | Commonly 63°C or 89°C, depending on the referenced exposure cycle |
| Evaluation Parameters | Color change (ΔE), gloss retention, chalking, cracking, blistering, mechanical property retention |
Instrumentation Used for ASTM G155: Xenon-Arc Weathering of Non-Metallic Materials
- Xenon-arc weathering chamber with calibrated lamp, optical filters, and irradiance control
- Black panel or black standard thermometer for chamber temperature monitoring
- Radiometer for periodic irradiance verification at the specimen plane
- Water spray system for simulating rainfall/condensation cycles
- Specimen holders and racks sized to the chamber geometry
- Spectrophotometer or colorimeter for post-exposure color and gloss measurement
- Mechanical test equipment (as applicable) for post-exposure tensile, flexural, or impact property evaluation
ASTM G155: Xenon-Arc Weathering of Non-Metallic Materials Results and Deliverables
- Test report — documentation of exposure cycle selected, chamber conditions maintained, exposure duration, and specimen identification
- Color and appearance data — ΔE color change, gloss retention percentage, and visual ratings for chalking, cracking, or blistering at each evaluation interval
- Mechanical property retention data — percentage retention of tensile, flexural, or impact properties relative to unexposed controls, where applicable
- Comparative ranking — side-by-side performance comparison of multiple formulations or products tested under identical exposure conditions
- Pass/fail determination — compliance assessment against acceptance criteria defined in a product specification or governing standard
Frequently Asked Questions
ASTM G155 is an essential method for evaluating materials' resistance to the most rigorous environmental and solar exposure conditions.
The most apparent difference is that ASTM G154 testing uses fluorescent light sources to simulate UVA and UVB. In contrast, ASTM G155 testing uses xenon arc UV light sources to simulate exposure to natural sunlight.
It has two types: a pure xenon gas short arc lamp and a xenon-mercury short arc lamp. The pure xenon gas variant contains only xenon gas, whereas the xenon-mercury variant contains xenon gas with a small amount of mercury metal.
The xenon lamp contains two electrodes in a glass bulb filled with xenon gas. High voltage is applied to the electrodes, momentarily releasing sparks to create a light flash. The xenon arc can be spectrally closer to daylight than the incandescent source.
Testing may evaluate colour change, gloss loss, fading, chalking, cracking, embrittlement and loss of strength. The specific property measurements are defined by the applicable material standard or customer requirement.
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