How many hours of testing in the UV aging weather test chamber is equivalent to one year of outdoor exposure?

How many hours of testing in the UV aging weather test chamber is equivalent to one year of outdoor exposure? This is a question often asked by customers, but there is no data to verify how many hours of testing is equivalent to one year of outdoor exposure. This is a seemingly simple question with a complex answer.

The biggest reason is that the outdoor exposure environment is complex and changeable. The test time and outdoor exposure time in the UV aging weather test chamber are related to the following factors: it does not make sense to talk logically about a conversion factor between artificially accelerated aging time and length of outdoor exposure. The reason is that one is a fairly constant environment, while the other is ever-changing. Looking for a conversion factor between the two is beyond the scope of change. In other words, weather data is relative data. However, you can still get excellent weathering test data from UV aging weather test chamber. But you must realize that the data is relative data, not absolute data.

The reliable data you get from the UV aging weather test chamber test is the relative level of aging of the tested material compared to other materials.

1)The geographic latitude of the outdoor exposure site (the closer to the equator, the stronger the UV rays).

2) Altitude (higher altitude means stronger UV rays)

3) The local geographical environment, such as wind speed will affect the drying degree of the test sample or the place close to the water source will promote the formation of dew.

4) Due to the different climate each year, the influence of the weather in the next year on the samples in the same area may be twice that of the previous year

5) The effect of seasons, for example, the destructive effect of winter exposure is only 1/7 of that in summer

6) The orientation of the sample (5 degrees south and true north are very different)

7) Whether the sample is insulated or not (outdoor samples on an insulating carrier usually age 50% faster than not on an insulating carrier)

8) Test period of the test chamber (irradiation time and wet time)

9) The operating temperature of the test chamber (the higher the temperature, the faster the aging)

10) Testing of special materials

Therefore, the data obtained from the UV aging weather test chamber is relative data, not absolute data, and the data is for reference only.