Artificial weathering was selected as one of the steps in the study to decrease
the amount of time required to age the samples while imparting changes due to
weathering.
Weathering Cycle
The weathering cycle selected for the study is 4 hours of UV light exposure
at 60 degrees Celsius (~120 degrees Fahrenheit), followed by 4 hours of condensation in the dark at 50 degrees Celsius (~140
degrees Fahrenheit). This cycle will be repeated for a period of 800 hours. Calibrating the
irradiance and temperature of the QUV prior to performing the experiment is
important to ensure accurate and repeatable test results.