2009 R&D 100 Winner
Material degradation caused by ultraviolet (UV) damage is a problem in the solar, automotive, and building materials industries. Development of materials such as coatings and plastic parts for outdoor applications has required years of exposure testing to achieve consistent results. With technology developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colo., Atlas Material Testing Technology, Phoenix, Ariz., and Institute of Laser Optical Technology, Moscow, Russia, the Ultra-Accelerated Weathering System (UAWS), greatly reduces the time required to assess the viability of new materials. Years of solar weathering are compressed into just weeks.
The unique optical system design and innovative optical components of the UAWS deliver highly concentrated sunlight in the UV spectrum, the wavelength region that does the most damage to materials deployed outdoors. The visible and near-infrared spectra are redirected so that the samples do not overheat and experience stresses absent in the real world.
Technology
Materials testing instrument
Developers
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Atlas Material Testing Technology
Institute of Laser Optical Technology
