The aging of materials through exposure to sun light is a natural process in which materials undergo changes in their appearance, physical and chemical properties due to solar radiation. This process is common in materials exposed to the outdoors, such as plastics, paints, textiles, metals, and wood.
Sunlight contains ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which is primarily responsible for the deterioration of exposed materials. UV radiation breaks down the molecules of materials, causing deterioration in their structure, discoloration, loss of elasticity, cracking and fragility.
To simulate the aging of materials through exposure to sunlight in a controlled environment, we designed accelerated aging chambers. These cameras reproduce extreme weather conditions, such as high temperatures and UV radiation; to accelerate the deterioration process of materials and evaluate their resistance to aging.
The ageing of materials using sunlight is important in different industries, such as automotive, construction, and the manufacturing of outdoor products; since it allows us to predict the behaviour and durability of materials under real conditions of exposure to the outdoor environment. It is also useful for the development of new formulations of materials that are more resistant to ageing and for the study of materials protection and conservation techniques aswell.
