What is ISO 29664 - testing plastics using artificial weathering about?
When plastics come in contact with chemicals in the environment such as motor fuels, lubricants, etc., they may experience weathering. ISO 29664 provides you with guidelines for artificial weathering tests intended to evaluate plastics for use in heavily polluted outdoor environments.
Acidic precipitation can have a significant effect on the photochemical ageing of many polymers. In some cases, this is due to an attack on the stabilizers or fillers like CaCO3 applied in technical polymers. The mechanisms differ from those of harmful gases, which essentially constitute the initial products of acidic precipitation.
ISO 29664 describes two different exposure methods. The use of the methods depends on the form of the plastic product being evaluated. ISO 29664 specifies methods to reproduce the weathering effects that occur when plastics are exposed to heavily polluted outdoor environments.
Note 1: In artificial weathering tests for plastics, the action of acidic atmospheric precipitation, which is part of the real world, has generally not been considered.
Note 2: ISO 29664 does not cover the influence of special chemicals like agrochemicals.
Who is ISO 29664 - testing plastics using artificial weathering for?
ISO 29664 on testing plastics using artificial weathering is useful for:
- Manufacturers of plastic products
- Manufacturers of PVC products
- Industries using plastics as capital
- Solar Panel Manufacturers
- Product development teams/research teams
- Quality control personnel
Why should you use ISO 29664 - testing plastics using artificial weathering?
In natural outdoor conditions, acidic precipitation occurs sporadically. Outdoor weathering effects vary enormously within different years in terms of precipitation. Due to this, it is practically impossible to obtain reliable outdoor exposure results from just one season. These fluctuations can be avoided by using a laboratory test, where all weathering parameters, including the acidic deposition, can be controlled.
ISO 29664 provides guidelines to test the reliability of plastics. ISO 29664 states the guidelines to accelerate the aging of plastics. The test comes with the understanding of the methods as mentioned:
Method A is intended for products where surface degradation is very important and uses a strong acid spray (pH 1.5) that is applied for a short time.
Method B uses a weaker acid spray (pH3.5) that is applied for a longer period of time so that it can penetrate deeply into the product and is intended for products such as geotextiles and related products. Using ISO 29664 guidelines you would be able to replicate outdoor weathering conditions in the laboratory. ISO 29664 helps in enhancing the reliability of the plastics by testing them under several artificial weathering conditions.
