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About Q-Lab Weathering Research Service Q-lab specializes in environmental exposure tests to determine durability of the material when subjected to the forces of weathering and corrosion. Weathering causes billions of dollars of product damage each year all around the world. Damage includes color change, gloss loss, embrittlement, strength loss, cracking, peeling, chalking, blistering and oxidation. The main forces that cause the weathering of materials are sunlight (especially ultra-violet), high temperatures, moisture in the form of rain, dew and humidity. In addition, there is a synergistic effect between sunlight and moisture. Materials that are resistant to sunlight alone or to moisture alone will often fail when subjected to sunlight and moisture in combination. Due to differences in climate, product performance may vary greatly from place to place. Materials scientists often use "Florida Weathering" and "Arizona Weathering" as international benchmarks for durability testing of materials. Since exposures in these regions typically produce faster degradation than those in more northern locations, many companies test their products in both Florida and Arizona for a complete outdoor testing program. Each complete program includes the exposure and evaluation methods appropriate for a particular industry or application. Procedures are performed as per ASTM or ISO methods. Q-Lab offers visual and instrumental evaluations of weathering and corrosion damage, including color & gloss measurements. Q-Lab Weathering Research Service is a contract test service specializing in environmental exposure tests to determine materials' durability when subject to the forces of weathering and corrosion. With benchmark exposure sites in Florida and the Arizona desert, Q-Lab performs both natural exposure and laboratory simulations, along with appropriate evaluation and characterization procedures.
Q-Lab recognition includes ISO Guide 25 accreditation by the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) and Accreditation by the Automotive Manufacturers Equipment Compliance Agency (AMECA). Accelerated Weathering & Corrosion Test Services at Q-Lab Laboratory weathering and corrosion tests are used extensively for quality control, material certification, exterior durability studies and predictions of durability. Q-Lab has a fully equipped accelerated weathering and corrosion laboratory Fast Results Although actual outdoor exposures are the ideal way to test your products, sometimes you can't afford to wait a year or two for real-time tests to show whether your latest improved formulation is really an improvement. Q-Lab's Accelerated Weathering and Corrosion Lab can give you the answers. With today's laboratory testers, it is possible to generate reliable weatherability data - provided you understand the mechanisms of outdoor weathering and use a tester of proper design. Q-Lab can help you set up an accelerated laboratory testing program. Q-Lab offers a full range of laboratory testing services for those occasions when you need durability data in a matter of weeks, not years. Q-Lab has a fully equipped accelerated weathering and corrosion laboratory. Q-Lab weathering and corrosion tests are used extensively for quality control, material certification, exterior durability studies and predictions of durability. Standard Exposures All tests and evaluations are performed to appropriate ASTM, ISO or other standard procedures. Custom exposures are also available upon request. Third-Party Verification. Q-Lab can act as an unbiased third party wherever third-party verification of test results is required. It is important to properly quantify the results of any exposure testing program. Typically, the customer is interested in the amount of change his material experiences during exposure. Change in some properties, like color or gloss, can be measured instrumentally. Other changes like cracking, peeling, chalking, blistering or rusting, can be evaluated visually and rated according to standard rating scales from ASTM or other organizations. Visual Evaluations Our expert staff is actively involved in ASTM and other standards organizations and are fully conversant in all the appropriate evaluation techniques and reporting scales. Our reports detail defects observed visually, including cracking, blistering, peeling, chalking, adhesion, color change and corrosion. All visual ratings are made under standard light conditions. These provide accurate repeatable ratings. Instrumental Measurements Instrumental measurements of appearance and surface characteristics include such attributes as gloss, distinctness of image and color. These are used in place of, or in addition to, the visual ratings. These electro-optical measurements are now widely required by many standards and provide the data on which statistical calculations can be made. Frequency Evaluations and measurements can be scheduled on any time frame. Typically, the property of interest is measured or rated prior to exposure. Thereafter, periodic inspection and evaluation is necessary to quantify the progress of the test specimen. Evaluations are commonly performed on a monthly or quarterly basis. Additional services As part of complete test program, it is often necessary to include other special services or handling. Common services include washing, polishing, scribing and specimen weighing.
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