The Carbon Arc Aging Tester is a precision testing device specifically designed to simulate natural environmental conditions such as light exposure, temperature, and humidity. Its primary function is to accelerate the evaluation of weather resistance and service life of various materials.The core working principle of this equipment is based on the use of a carbon arc lamp as the main light source. The lamp generates a specific spectral distribution—particularly simulating the ultraviolet (UV) portion of natural sunlight. By combining this radiation with precisely controlled environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, water spray, and condensation, the device performs systematic accelerated aging tests on material samples.The development of the Carbon Arc Aging Tester aims to rapidly simulate, within a laboratory environment, the long-term effects of outdoor environmental exposure on materials—especially the aging phenomena caused by ultraviolet radiation—so that the durability and stability of materials in real-world applications can be scientifically evaluated.
Application Value of the Carbon Arc Aging Tester in Industry
Although xenon arc lamps and fluorescent ultraviolet lamps have become increasingly popular in modern material aging tests, the carbon arc aging tester still maintains significant application value in several important fields due to its unique spectral characteristics and irreplaceable role in certain testing standards.
Its main application areas include:
Plastics and Rubber Industry
The equipment is used to evaluate the aging behavior of various polymer materials used in outdoor environments, such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), PVC, and ABS, under the combined influence of ultraviolet radiation, high temperature, and moisture. Typical evaluation parameters include:
Color change
Surface chalking
Cracking phenomena
Degradation of mechanical properties such as tensile strength and elongation at break
Coatings, Inks, and Surface Coating Industry
The tester is widely used to evaluate the light resistance, color retention, and overall durability of products such as:
Automotive coatings
Architectural exterior wall coatings
Industrial protective coatings
It is particularly suitable for materials and products that must still comply with older ASTM or JIS certification standards.
Textile and Leather Manufacturing
By simulating sunlight exposure and humid weather conditions, the equipment can evaluate fading behavior, strength loss, and structural durability of fiber-based materials. This provides quality verification for:
Outdoor clothing
Home textile products
Leather goods
Automotive Component Testing
Carbon arc aging tests are used for interior and exterior automotive components, including:
Bumpers
Instrument panels
Sealing strips
These tests verify the stability and service life of such components under long-term outdoor exposure conditions.
Building Material Evaluation
The tester is also used to evaluate the weather resistance of building materials such as:
Plastic doors and windows
Roofing waterproof materials
Exterior decorative panels
These materials must withstand combined environmental factors such as temperature-humidity cycles and ultraviolet radiation.
Packaging Material Inspection
Plastic packaging materials designed for outdoor storage or long-term exposure to strong light must undergo carbon arc lamp testing to verify their aging resistance and functional durability.
Historical Compliance and Standard Verification
In certain regions and industries—especially in Asia—some legacy standards based on carbon arc testing remain widely adopted, such as:ASTM G152、JIS D0205.
Therefore, carbon arc aging testers remain essential equipment for completing compliance testing under these standards.
Operating Procedure
The testing process mainly includes the following stages:
Sample Preparation
Samples to be tested—such as plastic sheets, coated panels, or textile specimens—are prepared or cut according to relevant testing standards. Their initial condition parameters must be recorded in detail, including:
Color
Surface gloss
Mechanical performance indicators
These values serve as baseline data for comparison before and after aging.
Setting the Test Conditions
According to the selected international or industry standards (such as ASTM G152. JIS D0205. or GB/T 16422.4), the following parameters must be configured:
Light exposure cycle: The black panel temperature is typically controlled between 60–80°C, while the chamber temperature and relative humidity are maintained within 30%–80% RH.
Spray cycle: Periodic spraying using deionized water simulates rainfall or condensation effects.
Total exposure duration: Common test durations include 500 hours, 1000 hours, or 2000 hours, depending on product requirements and testing objectives.
Sample Placement
Prepared samples are securely mounted on a rotating sample rack to ensure uniform exposure to ultraviolet radiation emitted by the carbon arc lamp.
The carbon arc lamp generates an electric arc between two carbon electrodes, producing high-intensity ultraviolet radiation primarily within the 300–387 nm wavelength range, effectively simulating the ultraviolet portion of sunlight.
Starting the Test
After connecting the power supply, the test program is initiated. The equipment automatically performs the preset light exposure, spraying, and cooling cycles.
Operators should continuously monitor key parameters such as:
Temperature
Humidity
Radiation intensity
to ensure stability and consistency throughout the entire test process.
Intermediate Inspection (If Applicable)
At predetermined intervals (for example, every 500 hours), the test may be paused and some samples removed for preliminary inspection.
Typical evaluation items include:
Color difference (ΔE) measurement
Gloss change evaluation
Surface chalking level assessment
This allows researchers to monitor the progression of material aging.
Completion of Test and Final Evaluation
Once the predetermined total exposure time has been reached, the equipment is shut down and all samples are removed.
The samples must then be conditioned for at least 24 hours under standard laboratory conditions:
Temperature: 23°C ± 2°C
Relative humidity: 50% ± 5%
Subsequently, quantitative analysis of material performance changes is conducted according to relevant standards, including:
Appearance evaluation (chalking, cracking, blistering, discoloration)
Mechanical property testing (such as retention of tensile strength and elongation at break)
If necessary, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) may be used to analyze changes in chemical structure and oxidation products of the material.
Safety Operation Precautions
1. Personal Protection Requirements
Operators must wear professional UV-protection goggles and protective gloves to prevent damage to the eyes and skin caused by intense ultraviolet radiation from the carbon arc lamp.
Directly looking at the carbon arc light source during operation is strictly prohibited. Even when wearing protective equipment, exposure to the radiation area should be minimized.
Equipment Environment and Management Requirements
The equipment should be installed in a well-ventilated, dry location away from flammable or explosive materials.
The power supply must be stable and properly grounded to prevent equipment malfunction or reduced service life caused by voltage fluctuations.
During operation, unnecessary actions such as:
Opening the chamber door
Touching the sample rack
Adjusting the light source
are strictly prohibited to ensure test safety and data accuracy.
Opening the test chamber door during operation is strictly forbidden, as it may cause ultraviolet radiation leakage or destabilize the chamber's temperature and humidity conditions, thereby affecting test accuracy and operational safety.
Flammable, explosive, or volatile chemical substances must never be placed inside the chamber, as this may cause accidents or damage the equipment.
Key Preparations Before Testing
Sample Selection
Samples must represent actual mass production conditions. Handcrafted samples or specimens produced by significantly different manufacturing processes should be avoided, as they may lead to inaccurate weather resistance evaluation.
Sample Documentation
Before testing, all samples should be:
Systematically numbered
Thoroughly cleaned
Photographed for archival documentation
Initial performance parameters—such as color difference and gloss—should also be measured to facilitate comparison after aging.
Equipment Calibration and Maintenance
Key monitoring components such as:
Irradiance sensors
Black panel thermometers
Humidity probes
must be calibrated regularly. It is recommended that calibration be performed at least once per month to ensure measurement accuracy.
The carbon arc lamp electrodes gradually wear out with use. Therefore, regular inspection and timely replacement are necessary to maintain spectral stability of the light source and ensure consistent testing conditions.
Main Advantages
As one of the earliest widely used technologies in artificial accelerated aging testing, the carbon arc aging chamber has been partially replaced by more advanced technologies such as xenon arc lamps and fluorescent UV lamps. However, in certain applications it still retains unique and irreplaceable value.
Its main advantages include:
High Ultraviolet Intensity and Strong Accelerated Aging Effect
Carbon arc lamps emit strong ultraviolet radiation, especially in the short-wave UV region (wavelengths below 350 nm). This concentrated radiation energy can rapidly induce photo-oxidation reactions and degradation in polymer materials, making the equipment particularly suitable for rapid weatherability evaluation and formulation screening.
Continued Relevance for Historical Data Comparison
In industries such as automotive manufacturing, coating testing, and textile aging evaluation, some current standards—such as:
ASTM G152
JIS D0205
JIS K5600-7-8
still recognize carbon arc testing as a valid compliance method.
For products that require consistency with previous test data, continued use of carbon arc testing ensures data comparability and continuity.
Unique Simulation Capability for Heat-Sensitive Materials
During operation, carbon arc lamps generate significant thermal radiation in addition to ultraviolet light. This allows the tester to more realistically simulate the combined light–heat aging conditions experienced in natural outdoor environments.
Such simulation helps comprehensively evaluate material durability and aging behavior under high-temperature and high-humidity conditions.
Relatively Simple Structure and Lower Maintenance Costs
From the perspective of equipment structure and maintenance cost—especially for open-type carbon arc aging chambers—the mechanical design and control system are relatively simple compared with xenon arc equipment.
As a result, initial investment and daily maintenance costs are relatively low, offering economic advantages.
Overall, the Carbon Arc Aging Tester is becoming increasingly important in the fields of material science and industrial applications, with its range of applications continuing to expand.
It has become one of the key pieces of equipment for evaluating the weather resistance and durability of materials, playing an essential role in product development, quality verification, and long-term performance assessment across multiple industries.
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