Laboratory weathering simulates sunlight, UV, heat, and moisture in a realistic and accelerated way. But the fight against corona required a new aggressive radiation source: short wavelength UVC radiation. This portion of the electromagnetic spectrum is emitted by the sun but filtered by the ozone layer and therefore never reaches the earth’s surface.
UVC light has been used for decades to disinfect water, air, pharmaceutical products, and surfaces against viruses. Now, this technology has been widely introduced to sterilize surfaces in buses, cars, planes, hospitals, hotels, or schools. The much faster degradation of many materials requires a new accelerated ageing test method which simulates UVC radiation instead of sunlight.
