Analysis of weathering effects in automotive coatings using thermoluminescence

Thermally stimulated luminescence (TL) can be used to detect damage in the early stages of degradation after artificial weathering, and to analyze the efficiency of stabilizers used in automotive coatings. TL is particularly suitable for this task due to its inherent high sensitivity to structural, morphological, and chemical changes in macromolecular chains. In this work, TL measurements were carried out for different automotive coatings to follow their degradation progression during artificial weathering. The TL results demonstrate high sensitivity to parameters like stabilizers, matrices, hardeners, and weathering time, and provide an opportunity to monitor the early stages of damage in polymers, which therefore reduce the time required for further outdoor weathering tests.