If you want to know the difference between Xenon Arc Chamber And QUV Tester then our guide is for you. It compares the differences between Xenon Arc Chamber And QUV Tester in detail so that you can better choose the test for your product. Here you’ll find all the information you need – let’s get started:
1. QUV Accelerated Aging Tester
The QUV Accelerated aging test chamber is designed to replicate the damaging effects of sunlight typically on strong materials by using fluorescent UV lamps. The coating on the glass tube is carefully designed so that the glass tube produces mainly UV light rather than IF or visible light.
Different kinds of light have different spectra and are suitable for different exposure applications. And, UVA-340 lights are the ones that provide the best sun entertainment in the important short-wave UV region. UV-B lamps are also often used in this tester, which causes faster degradation than UV-A lamps.
Therefore, the main benefit of using QUV accelerated weathering testing equipment is that it provides the most realistic reproduction of external moisture attacks. Because it utilizes the condensation mechanism, which is a mechanism that reproduces outdoor moisture such as dew, rain, and sunlight.
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1) Advantages of QUV accelerated aging tester
The following are the advantages of the QUV accelerated weathering tester.
Easy to operate
Easy to install, easy to use, and virtually maintenance-free, the QUV ultraviolet tester has a simple and proven design. It runs fully automatically, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Affordable price
QUV testers are economical to purchase and operate because they use:
- Low-Cost, Long-Life Fluorescent UV Lamps
- Ordinary tap water condensation
Features
- Dual touch screen user interface for easy operation and programming in five of eight user-selectable languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese.
- Continuous display of exposure conditions
- Multi-color LED lights provide quick “at-a-glance” tester status
- Self-diagnostic warnings and service reminders
- Fast calibration with the patented AUTOCAL system
(Another Related Article: Temperature and Humidity Test 101: An Ultimate Guide ）
2) Types of QUV accelerated aging tester
Here are some common types of QUV accelerated aging testers:
- QUV/se
The most popular QUV model, the QUV/se, maintains UV intensity precisely with solar eye irradiance control. To simulate outdoor moisture attack, the QUV/se uses a proven condensation mechanism. It enables faster, more repeatable testing, longer lamp life, and calibration to international standards.
- QUV/spray
As with the QUV/se, the QUV/spray features an enhanced water supply system with a water spray. Short sprays can be used to generate thermal shock. Longer times can be used to achieve mechanical erosion. You can set the QUV/Spray to generate UV light, condensation, water spray, or even a combination of light and moisture.
- QUV/CW
Some industries have test methods that specify indoor light stability testing using cool white lamps. Using a Solar Eye Irradiance Control System modified for monitoring and controlling cool white fluorescent lamps, the QUV/cw replicates indoor light conditions.
- QUV/UVC
Ultraviolet rays are widely used in ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI), a technique that eliminates harmful viruses and bacteria. This short-wavelength, high-energy UVC light also degrades the materials and surfaces it sanitizes.
The QUV/UVC model uses a UVC lamp to provide light focused at 254 nm to test the durability of materials against photodegradation. The QUV/UVC tester has several safety features to prevent stray UVC light from escaping; it is also not equipped with condensation or water spray.
（Another Related Article: Environmental Test 101: A Full Guide）
- The QUV/basic
It is a simplified version of the QUV for labs where the economy is critical. Irradiance is controlled through periodic lamp replacement and repositioning. The QUV/basic has a condensation system for humidity simulation. It didn’t spray water. Q-Lab’s Gen 3 controller remains intact, with simple touchpad controls and a 2-line LCD screen.
2. Xenon arc test chamber
In addition, xenon arc testing simulates ultraviolet and visible solar radiation with a weather meter. Facilitate changes in your material properties, including the effects of sunlight, moisture, and heat. The way the xenon arc test chamber generates energy in the visible, infrared, and ultraviolet regions makes it considered the best simulation of the full range of sunlight.
In order to reproduce ordinary daylight, please keep in mind that filtering the xenon arc spectrum is very important. The job of these filters is to reduce unwanted radiation or heat. There are a variety of different glass filters to achieve different spectra.
The main factors in deciding which filter to use include the material you are trying and the end use. Various types of filters allow different amounts of short-wave UV, which can fundamentally affect the type and rate of degradation.
Typically, most xenon arc test chambers simulate the effects of humidity through humidity control and an additional water spray system. A xenon chamber sprays water on the test specimens to reproduce the effect of outdoor humidity.
This specific method is particularly suitable for reproducing the effects of mechanical erosion or thermal shock. Most of these testers have a system to control relative humidity, temperature, and optical power (irradiance).
What’s more, accelerated exposure testing is becoming increasingly important for validating new designs and materials, as well as determining the durability of materials in real-world environments in short periods of time. Unlike electrically fired carbon arcs, xenon arcs are precision gas discharge lamps in sealed quartz tubes designed to reproduce the weathering effects that occur when materials are exposed to sunlight and moisture in actual use.
With an arc length greater than the arc diameter, long-arc lamps simulate full-spectrum solar radiation more closely than any other artificial light source, and as such, they are widely used in accelerated exposure tests to simulate the weathering process of indoor and outdoor sun-exposed materials.
During xenon arc testing, your samples are exposed to filtered xenon arc light under controlled environmental conditions. A variety of xenon arc light sources and filter combinations are used to simulate natural sunlight and proper field conditions. Heaters control temperature and humidifiers provide moisture.
（Another Related Article: Thermal Shock vs Thermal Cycling Test: What’s the Difference?）
3. The difference between Xenon Arc Chamber and QUV Tester
It is well known that natural materials such as plastics, inks, and paints are often damaged by light and weathering. It is for this reason that accelerated aging tests and light stability testers are widely used in material certification, quality control, and research and development.
The results provided by these testers are usually repeatable and fast. Among them, xenon arc test chambers and ultraviolet (QUV) accelerated aging test chambers are some of the widely used products. However, regardless of the most frequently used, these two are built on different methods.
The xenon arc test chamber is engineered to replicate the entire spectrum of sunlight, including infrared (IR), ultraviolet (UV), and visible light. Xenon arc lamps are essentially an attempt to mimic sunlight at 295nm-800nm.
However, with QUV it is just repeating the damaging effects of sunlight that occur in the 300 nm – 400 nm range. These particular testers are based on the idea that if your tough material is exposed outdoors, it will suffer the most weathering damage from short-wave UV rays.
（Another Related Article: How to Select a Temperature Humidity Test Chamber?）
4. Conclusion
That’s the difference between Xenon Arc Chamber And QUV Tester. If you don’t know which is better, we recommend that you choose the method that makes the most sense for you to use depending on the materials you are experimenting with, your budgetary constraints, and the end-use application.
This is mainly because either method can be implemented depending on your application. If you have any needs about Xenon Arc Chamber, please feel free to contact Linkotest.
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