WARNING!

Don't get ripped off with excessive Snorkel Prices:

 

Roediger Agencies cc

ANALYTIICAL LABORATORY

 

REG No: 93/29837/23

VAT No: 4200155465

Polymer Science Building

De Beer Street, STELLENBOSCH 7600

www.roedigeragencies.co.za                                                                

PO Box 3202

MATIELAND 7602        

Tel: +27 21 887 0010

Fax: +27 21 886 4731    

Cell: 083 250 9281

 

 

7 April 2011

Pieter Pretorius

Extraordinaire Systems

PO Box 941

7357 LANGEBAAN

 

Dear Mr Pretorius

A snorkel (LLDPE) was sent to the analytical laboratory of Roediger Agencies cc for accelerated weathering.

Results were obtained via the following test method.

QUV

A QUV fluorescent UV/condensation tester can be used to accelerate weathering. Different types of

ultraviolet light bulbs can be used in the tester to emphasize different wavelengths. UVB radiation is

responsible for most polymer damage.

The bulbs used were of the type UVB–313, which gives the highest irradiation at a wavelength of 313 nm.

Results obtained with these lamps correlate well with results of outdoor exposure for gloss retention on

coatings and for the material integrity of plastics. With the exception of the automotive industry, the UVB-313

is the most widely used light source for the ASTM G-53 devices. However, the short wavelength output

below the solar cut-off can cause anomalous results.

Two types of weathering cycles are used; 1) Wet cycle is an 8 h exposure to a UV cycle at 45 °C, followed

by a 4 h condensation cycle at 50 °C, only the actual UV exposures hours are taken into consideration to

determine the outdoor exposure equivalent. 2) Dry cycle a continuous exposure to a UV cycle at 45 °C. The

reported number of hours of exposure is equivalent to the total time of UV exposure recorded.

In our experience with tests carried out to evaluate the weathering of plasticised poly(vinyl chloride), an

exposure time of 3000 hours correlates to a ten-year period. It must be borne in mind that the degradation

that takes place is not linear over the time of exposure, it is exponential.

The snorkel has been exposed to a wet cycle for 600 hours which equates to ±1 year outdoor.

 

Summary

After 600 hours in the wet cycle, no loss in gloss and no cracking are visible when looking at the photographs

depicted above.

 

Yours faithfully,

Dr. AHA Roediger.