Durability assessment of automotive coatings - Design and evaluation of accelerated tests

In this work the influence of different climatic parameters on the rate of gloss reduction was studied for a number of different automotive coatings. The purpose was to improve the reliability of accelerated test procedures by selecting test conditions that improve the simulation of the degradation processes that occur during outdoor exposure. Results from Florida exposure and accelerated exposure tests were evaluated using an acceleration factor based on the light dose needed to cause a certain reduction in gloss. The results indicate that agreement between accelerated tests and Florida exposure is improved when a test sequence simulating acid rain is included in the accelerated test cycle.