Summary

Products based on plastics can degrade by the effects of the environment. This webinar addresses the basic principles of polymer degradation caused by the effects of weather. The main environmental stress factors are solar radiation, heat, and moisture. Testing of the environmental durability can be done under natural conditions; however accelerated laboratory testing offer the potential of acceleration. Today xenon-arc instruments (full solar simulation) and fluorescent UV instruments are the main technologies used to test the weathering stability of plastics. Modern test instruments offer control of the simulated environmental parameters, but also measurement of specimen properties, such as the surface temperature. International weathering standards are the base for reproducible testing. Recent standardization efforts focus on better parameter control and on more realistic simulation of environmental degradation effects.

Plastics can degrade when exposed to environmental stress – some faster than others. This webinar addresses the basic principles of polymer degradation under the synergetic impact of solar radiation, heat, and water.

The online seminar will show how weathering testing of plastics can be performed under natural conditions, but also in the most common laboratory weathering instruments:

• Filtered xenon-arc (full spectrum solar simulation, including UV)
• Fluorescent UV (UV only)

Finally, recent developments in testing technology and international standardization will be presented.

About the Speaker

Florian Feil, Ph.D.
Global Manager Client Educator
Senior Consultant — Weathering Technology
Standards Manager
Atlas / Ametek

Duties and Responsibilities

• Planning, coordination, and implementation of Atlas’ global client education program (incl. seminars and workshops in Europe, Asia, Americas and Africa and Online seminars)
• Planning and organizing technical consulting for different industries (Coatings, Solar, Plastics, Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics, Automotive, Textile, …)
• Membership and active work in several national (DIN, VDA, DEK, DKE) and international (CEN, ISO, IEC, ASTM) standards committees
• Since 2020 Chair of ISO TC 35/SC 9 “General test methods for paints and varnishes”
• Lecturer at various weathering, durability, and surface science seminars
• Publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentation at international conferences

Background

• Expert in weathering and photo-degradation of materials and products.
• Research on corrosion and inorganic coatings at the DECHEMA Research Institute in Frankfurt (2005 - 2011).
• Postdoc on conducting polymers and electrochemistry at the Ohio State University (2003 - 2004).
• Ph.D. degree in chemistry on the polymerization of polystyrene block-copolymers at the University of Constance, Germany (2002).