Analysis of test methods for UV durability predictions of polymer coatings

The purpose of this paper is to review procedures which are used for the evaluation of the durability of polymer coatings. In particular, methods of environmental acceleration and techniques of assessment of coating degradation have been examined, with an emphasis upon those which may produce reliable fast answer durability predictions. The advantages and disadvantages of the various exposure regimes currently used (such as Florida exposure, EMMAQUA or artificial light sources) have been discussed in terms of correlation with actual durability data and of degree of acceleration. A general rule of thumb is that the correlation of accelerated methods with natural exposure is inversely proportional to the degree of acceleration used. The common physical methods used to assess the extent of coating durability have been presented, with the general drawbacks to these techniques being highlighted. Finally, the benefits and drawbacks of a number of chemical techniques (in particular electron spin resonance (ESR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), hydroperoxide determination and chemiluminescence), which in principal could provide durability information in a fraction of the time of the physical techniques mentioned earlier, have been discussed. Of these, both ESR and FTIR spectroscopy show particular potential because of the short exposure times necessary to obtain significant results under UVA exposure.