Q-TRAC natural sunlight concentrator testing at Q-Lab Arizona is fast, economical, and easy.
Q-Lab is excited to announce that we are expanding our outdoor testing capabilities in Arizona with the recent acquisition of Arizona Desert Testing, LLC (AZTest). The new combined facility is now known as Q Lab Arizona Desert Testing
Q-Lab Arizona Desert Testing offers Q-TRAC natural sunlight concentrator testing for very durable materials. This method accelerates exposure to real sunlight for a fast, economical, and easy exposure.
Super Fast Results from Natural Sunlight
Q-TRAC natural sunlight concentrator testing gives super fast results like accelerated laboratory testers, but instead uses actual sunlight as the light source. It is exceptionally useful for highly durable materials with exceptionally long lifetime expectations.
The Q-TRAC system uses an array of 10 mirrors to reflect and concentrate full spectrum sunlight onto the test specimens. Furthermore the Q-TRAC system automatically tracks the sun throughout the day in both azimuth (horizontally) and elevation (vertically). The combination of mirrors and tracking maximizes the amount of exposure that your test specimen receives.
The Q-TRAC outdoor tester also has a water spray system that can be set to perform various cycles to simulate Florida weathering or create thermal shock. Additionally, specimens are oriented facing up during night-time wetting to give increased time of wetness and enhanced realism, compared to original EMMAQUA® natural sunlight concentrator testing. Q-Lab also now offers temperature-controlled Q-TRAC testing for more heat-sensitive specimens - contact us for more details.
Accelerated Exposures
Materials tested on the Q-TRAC system are exposed to much more sunlight than those on a conventional outdoor exposure rack. A test specimen mounted on the Q-TRAC tester receives an average of 5 times more UV than it would in Florida, because of the tracking and intensifying effect of the mirrors.
Applications
The Q-TRAC system is especially useful for testing products including coatings, plastics and reinforced plastics, automotive materials, building materials, textiles, inks, sealants, fluoropolymers, and geosynthetics. Many correlation studies indicate that the Q-TRAC natural sunlight concentrator is particularly useful for testing coil coatings, powder coatings, automotive coatings, and several plastics.
Test Methods
Several standardized cycles – including desert, spray, freeze/thaw and interior (behind glass) – are available to test different materials and end-use applications. Customized exposures also may be designed.
Q-TRAC natural sunlight concentrator testing meets a variety of weathering and corrosion test methods, a portion of which are shown below. Visit our Standards Page or contact Q-Lab for a more complete list.
- ASTM G90, ASTM D4141, ASTM D4364; SAE J1961; ISO 877-3
Cost-Effective
The Q-TRAC tester produces real-world results in a fraction of the time of natural exposures. This means that new formulations or products can be brought to market faster, saving time and effort. Additionally, Q-TRAC testing is extremely affordable – programs start at less than the cost of a cup of coffee per day.
Natural exposure testing is an essential part of any weathering and light stability test program. Even if you perform natural sunlight concentrator testing, you should also perform conventional outdoor testing. Furthermore, many companies test their products outdoors in both Florida and Arizona.
®EMMAQUA is a registered trademark of Atlas Material Testing, LLC