ASTM D4141-95

Standard Practice for Conducting Black Box and Solar Concentrating Exposures of Coatings

SCOPE
1.1 This practice covers two accelerated outdoor exposure procedures for evaluating the exterior durability of coatings applied to substrates.
1.2 The two procedures are as follows:
1.2.1 Procedure A--Black Box Exposure.
1.2.2 Procedure B-- has been deleted from this practice.
1.2.3 Procedure C--Fresnel Reflector Rack Exposure.
Note 1--Procedure B described a Heated Black Box procedure that is no longer in common use.
1.3 This standard does not cover all the procedures that are available to the user for accelerating the outdoor exposure of coatings. Other procedures have been used in order to provide a particular effect; however, the two procedures described here are widely used.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

General Information

• Status: Historical
• Publication Date: 09-Jun-2001
• ICS: 87.040 - Paints and varnishes
• Technical Committee: D01 - Paint and Related Coatings, Materials, and Applications
• Drafting Committee: D01.27 - Accelerated Testing

Relations

• Replaced By: ASTM D4141-01 - Standard Practice for Conducting Black Box and Solar Concentrating Exposures of Coatings
• Effective Date: 10-Jun-2001
• Referred By: ASTM D3451-06(2017) - Standard Guide for Testing Coating Powders and Powder Coatings
• Effective Date: 10-Jun-2001
• Referred By: ASTM D6577-15(2019) - Standard Guide for Testing Industrial Protective Coatings
• Effective Date: 10-Jun-2001
• Referred By: ASTM D1654-08(2016)e1 - Standard Test Method for Evaluation of Painted or Coated Specimens Subjected to Corrosive Environments
• Effective Date: 10-Jun-2001
• Referred By: ASTM G90-23 - Standard Practice for Performing Accelerated Outdoor Weathering of Materials Using Concentrated Natural Sunlight
• Effective Date: 10-Jun-2001
• Referred By: ASTM D6763-16(2022) - Standard Guide for Testing Exterior Wood Stains and Clear Water Repellents
• Effective Date: 10-Jun-2001
• Referred By: ASTM D5589-19 - Standard Test Method for Determining the Resistance of Paint Films and Related Coatings to Algal Defacement
• Effective Date: 10-Jun-2001
• Referred By: ASTM G178-16(2023) - Standard Practice for Determining the Activation Spectrum of a Material (Wavelength Sensitivity to an Exposure Source) Using the Sharp Cut-On Filter or Spectrographic Technique
• Effective Date: 10-Jun-2001
• Referred By: ASTM D3794-22 - Standard Guide for Testing Coil Coatings
• Effective Date: 10-Jun-2001

Standards Content (Sample)

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information.
Designation: D 4141 – 95
AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TESTING AND MATERIALS
100 Barr Harbor Dr., West Conshohocken, PA 19428
Reprinted from the Annual Book of ASTM Standards. Copyright ASTM
Standard Practice for
Conducting Accelerated Outdoor Exposure Tests of
Coatings
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 4141; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope D 2244 Test Method for Calculation of Color Differences
from Instrumentally Measured Color Coordinates
1.1 This practice covers three accelerated outdoor exposure
D 4214 Test Methods for Evaluating Degree of Chalking of
procedures for evaluating the exterior durability of coatings
Exterior Paint Films
applied to metal substrates.
G 7 Practice for Atmospheric Environmental Exposure
1.2 The three procedures are as follows:
Testing of Nonmetallic Materials
1.2.1 Procedure A—Black Box Exposure,
G 90 Practice for Performing Accelerated Outdoor Weath-
1.2.2 Procedure B—Heated Black Box Exposure, and
ering of Nonmetallic Materials Using Concentrated Natu-
1.2.3 Procedure C—Fresnel Reflector Rack Exposure.
ral Sunlight
1.3 The durability rankings of coatings provided by these
three procedures may not agree when coatings differing widely
3. Summary of Practice
in composition are compared.
3.1 Several procedures are described that provide accelera-
1.4 The acceleration of degradation rates of coatings pro-
tion of the degradation that coatings experience during natural
duced by the three procedures of exposure are discussed.
weathering. The procedures appear in the following order:
NOTE 1—Other exposure procedures may provide accelerated results
3.1.1 Procedure A—Exposure on a black box panel rack
for some types of products.
facing the equator at 5° from horizontal.
1.5 The values stated in either inch-pound or SI units are to
3.1.2 Procedure B—Exposure on a heated black box panel
be regarded separately as the standard. The values given in
rack facing the equator at 5° from horizontal.
parentheses are for information only.
3.1.3 Procedure C—Exposure on a Fresnel reflector panel
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the
rack that provides a high intensity of sunlight irradiation by
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
following the sun and focusing the sunlight on the test panels
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
by means of mirrors. The panels are wet periodically by
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
deionized water spray.
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. A specific precau-
3.2 Each of these procedures requires that coated test panels
tionary statement is given in Note 5.
be placed on racks of specified design and be exposed under
specified conditions of weathering.
2. Referenced Documents
3.3 The selection of a procedure for producing accelerated
2.1 ASTM Standards:
degradation is dependent on the intended end use of the
D 523 Test Method for Specular Gloss
coatings, limitations on the time available for the exposure
D 660 Test Method for Evaluating Degree of Checking of
tests, and the degree of reliability required for predictions of
Exterior Paints
durability performance.
D 714 Test Method for Evaluating Degree of Blistering of
4. Significance and Use
Paints
D 823 Practices for Producing Films of Uniform Thickness
4.1 The procedures described in this practice are designed to
of Paint, Varnish, and Related Products on Test Panels
provide greater degradation rates of coatings than those pro-
D 1186 Test Methods for Nondestructive Measurement of
vided by fixed angle open-rack outdoor exposure racks. For
Dry Film Thickness of Nonmagnetic Coatings Applied to
many products, fixed angle exposures will produce higher
a Ferrous Base
degradation rates than the normal end use of the material.
4.2 Following are comments regarding the relative rates of
degradation that can be expected for coatings exposed by the
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D-1 on Paint and
Related Coatings, Materials, and Applications, and is the direct responsibility of
Subcommittee D01.27 on Accelerated Tests for Protective Coatings. Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 14.02.
Current edition approved July 15, 1995. Published September 1995. Originally Fresnel reflector panel racks are located at Heraeus DSET Laboratories, Inc.,
published as D 4141 – 82. Last previous edition D 4141 – 93. 45601 N. 47th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85027-7042 and South Florida Test Service,
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 06.01. Desert Site, 31818 N. 203rd Ave., Wittmann, AZ 85361.
D 4141
procedures described in this practice. means for determining the severity of the exposure conditions
4.2.1 Procedure A (Black Box)—For many coatings, this encountered by the series. For best results, there should be at
procedure provides greater rates of degradation than those least two reference materials differing significantly in their
provided by 5°, equator-facing, open-rack exposures because durability performance.
the black box produces higher panel temperatures during 6.4 Optionally, using Test Methods D 1186, measure the dry
irradiation by the sun and longer time of wetness. The black film thickness of the coatings at several different positions on
box panel temperatures are comparable to those encountered the test specimens.
on the hoods, roofs, and deck lids of automobiles parked in
7. Procedure
direct sunlight.
7.1 If change in gloss is to be measured, determine the
4.2.2 Procedure B (Heated Black Box)—This procedure is
specular gloss value for each unexposed specimen using a
most useful for exposures conducted in the late fall, winter, and
properly calibrated glossmeter in accordance with Test Method
early spring when it produces significantly higher panel tem-
D 523.
peratures than those produced by the 5°, equator-facing, black
7.2 If change in color is to be measured, determine the color
box. Therefore, this procedure produces greater rates of deg-
coordinates for each unexposed specimen using Test Method
radation than those produced by Procedure A, particularly in
D 2244. Unless otherwise agreed upon, use the CIE Lab Color
the case of coatings with rates of degradation that are very
Scale. The color-measuring instrument shall be stable and
temperature dependent.
properly calibrated.
NOTE 2—The relative rates of gloss loss and color change produced in
NOTE 3—As an alternative procedure, reserve unexposed duplicate
some automotive and coil coatings by exposures in accordance with
specimen panels of each coating as file specimens to determine the color
Procedures A and B are given in ASTM STP 781.
change of the exposed specimens. To minimize color drift, store these
4.2.3 Procedure C (Fresnel Reflector Rack)—This method
panels in a dark, room temperature environment.
provides greater rates of degradation of coatings than those
7.3 Mount and fasten the specimens on the exposure box.
provided by Procedure A or Procedure B. This high accelera-
Cover all empty spaces on the black box using black panels so
tion is produced by very high sunlight intensity and high panel
that the entire surface is covered.
temperature.
4.2.4 The degradation rates produced by any of the three NOTE 4—The predominant color of the specimen panels on the black
box as well as the temperature of a standard panel should be noted. A
procedures depend on the seasons of exposure, geographical
black panel on the box will attain a lower temperature if all the other
location, and type of coating. The rates are higher in late
panels are white than if all the other panels are black.
spring, summer, and early fall when the intensity of sunlight
7.4 Expose the test and reference specimens for a specified
irradiation is the greatest and when panel temperatures are
period of time on the basis of one of the following:
higher.
7.4.1 Expose for a specified number of days, months, or
4.2.5 Because outdoor weather conditions vary from season
years with respect to an agreed upon starting date.
to season and year to year, these procedures are not reliable for
7.4.2 Expose for a specified quantity of radiant exposure
establishing absolute performance ratings for coatings. The
either total, typically measured from 300 to 3000 nm, or
procedures should be used only for comparing the relative
ultraviolet, typically measured from 300 to 385 nm.
performance of coatings exposed at the sa
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