QUV series, fluorescent lamp weathering chambers, Q-Lab

QUV accelerated weathering tester

The QUV accelerated weathering tester reproduces the damage caused by sunlight, rain and dew. In a few days or weeks, the QUV UV tester can reproduce the damage that occurs over months or years outdoors. To simulate outdoor weathering, the QUV accelerated tester exposes materials to alternating cycles of UV light and moisture at controlled, elevated temperatures. It simulates the effects of sunlight using special fluorescent UV lamps. It simulates dew and rain with condensing humidity and/or water spray. The QUV accelerated weathering tester is the simplest, most reliable, and easiest to use weathering tester available. With thousands of testers in use worldwide, it is the world's most widely used weathering tester.

QUV - The World's Most Widely Used Weathering Tester
UV light is responsible for almost all photodegradation of durable materials exposed outdoors.  The QUV tester’s fluorescent lamps simulate the critical short-wave UV and realistically reproduce the physical property damage caused by sunlight.  Types of damage include color change, gloss loss, chalking, cracking, crazing, hazing, blistering, embrittlement, strength loss and oxidation.

Dew, not rain, is responsible for most of the wetness that occurs in outdoor exposure.  The QUV UV test chamber's condensation system realistically simulates dew and accelerates its effect using elevated temperature.

The condensation process automatically purifies the ordinary tap water used in the system.  This is because the process of evaporating and condensing the water onto the specimens is actually a distillation process, which removes all impurities.  See LU-0801 - QUV Brochure.

Additional information at Q-Lab site!