摘要: |
Test protocols for material quality assurance are recommended for assessing sunlight degradation of polymeric products used in transportation-related products. One structural plastic product and five detectable warning surface (DWS) products were evaluated using a laboratory xenon weatherometer and exposed to outdoor condition at Gainesville, Florida. For the structural plastic product, which is made from recycled high density polyethylene (HDPE) blended with 2.7% carbon black, the OIT test (ASTM D 3895) is the best indicator for the sunlight degradation. The DWS products were made from polyester, polyurethane, polyolefin, or epoxy and reinforced with glass fibers, inorganic fillers, or aluminum particles. The color change (?E) through color measurement using a spectrocolorimeter is a good parameter to monitor sunlight effect on the DWS products. Based on sunlight irradiance, the laboratory test data can be correlated directly with those obtained from the outdoor exposure. It was found that using ASTM D2565 with borosilicate inner and outer filter and setting irradiance intensity at 60 ± 2.5 W/m2 can generate similar degradation as outdoor environment for most of the tested products. |