Service life prediction for aircraft coatings

摘要

A model with three stress types, the temperature, UV and aerosol, for estimating the service life of organic coatings under service conditions has been proposed. The model has been applied to the estimation of the service life for aircraft coatings concerning loss of gloss. The results obtained from a unique natural exposure programme for a reference polyurethane coating have been compared with the results from the specially designed accelerated ageing tests, which were performed with a new designed and constructed weathering device. As a special point of interest, the influence of sulphuric aerosol, which has simulated the stratosphere conditions after a big volcano eruption, on the service life of the reference coating has been investigated.