Xenon Arc – ASTM G155

What Is Xenon Arc — ASTM G155?

The xenon arc test is an accelerated ageing test in which the sample is exposed to light, temperature, humidity and rain cycles using a xenon arc lamp brought close to the solar spectrum with filters.

Purpose of Xenon Arc — ASTM G155

The purpose is to assess colour, gloss and mechanical-property loss by representing outdoor exposure as closely as possible to the real solar spectrum.

Which Products Is Xenon Arc — ASTM G155 Applied To?

Automotive interior and exterior trim
Paint and varnish systems
Plastic and composite exterior parts
Textiles and leather
Packaging prints

In Which Sectors Is Xenon Arc — ASTM G155 Used?

ElectronicsElectricalAutomotiveDefenceAerospace

Standards Related to Xenon Arc — ASTM G155

ASTM G155Accelerated aging with xenon arc test

Xenon Arc — ASTM G155 Conditions

lamp and filter: Xenon ark; daylight veya window-glass filtre
Radiation: Defined in the standard (e.g. 0.51 W/m²/nm at 340 nm or 300–400 nm total)
Cycle: Defined duration of light, dark and water spray phases
Black panel temperature: Defined in standard

Equipment for Xenon Arc — ASTM G155

Xenon arc ageing chamber
Filter sets
Calibrated radiometer
Colour, gloss and mechanical measurement instruments

Sample Requirements for Xenon Arc — ASTM G155

The sample must be prepared to panel size
Initial colour, gloss and mechanical values must be measured
A reference sample must be kept
A window-glass filter is used for interior trim tests

Duration of Xenon Arc — ASTM G155

Ranges from hundreds to thousands of hours depending on the specification; automotive specifications usually define total irradiance in kJ/m².

Xenon Arc — ASTM G155 Procedure

1Initial measurements are taken.
2The lamp, filter and irradiance setting are verified.
3The cycle programme (light, dark, water) is loaded.
4Samples are placed on panels and their positions rotated.
5The defined total irradiance or duration is reached.
6Colour difference, gloss and, if required, mechanical properties are measured.

Xenon Arc — ASTM G155 Acceptance Criteria

The acceptance criterion is given in the specification as maximum colour difference (ΔE), maximum gloss loss, or minimum retained mechanical property. Automotive OEM specifications define their own limits.

Evaluation of Results

Colour difference and gloss loss are assessed numerically; cracking and chalking are assessed visually. Filter choice noticeably affects the result and is stated in the report.

Xenon Arc — ASTM G155 Report

Applied standard, lamp and filter
Irradiance, cycle programme and panel temperature
Total irradiance or duration
Colour difference, gloss and mechanical results
Visual assessment and photographs

Accreditation

EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.

Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

Scope and authorisations

Related Regulations

Automotive OEM ageing specifications
Paint and plastics product standards

Environmental and Climatic Testing — What Does This Testing Field Cover?

The section below describes the field that the Xenon Arc test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

Environmental testing shows whether a product withstands ambient factors such as temperature, humidity, pressure, solar radiation, dust, water and corrosive atmospheres. The aim is not to break the product but to bring forward, in ACCELERATED form, the conditions it will meet over its life.

Test profiles are derived from the product's real exposure, and that derivation is the actual engineering work of the field. A device operating in an enclosed office and one mounted on a pole are not tested with the same profile. The IEC 60068 series defines general methods, MIL-STD-810 military profiles, RTCA DO-160 aviation profiles and the ISO 16750 series location-based automotive profiles. A test applied without a profile selection produces both unnecessary cost and false confidence.

Temperature tests simulate three separate phenomena and all three produce different failure modes. Steady high/low temperature tests whether the material can operate at that temperature. Temperature CYCLING creates fatigue at joints between materials with different expansion coefficients — solder cracks appear here. Thermal SHOCK intensifies this effect through an abrupt transition.

There is a distinction in humidity testing too. Steady damp heat shows the diffusion of moisture into the material and its effect on insulation properties. Cyclic damp heat creates condensation: water droplets form on the cooling surface, and this is far more aggressive than dry humidity. Water ingress into enclosures, increased leakage current and corrosion usually appear in the cyclic test.

Dust and water protection is a separate body of work and is expressed by the IP code. The point to note here is that an IP test is not a DURABILITY test: it shows that protection is provided under defined and short-duration conditions, not resistance to long-term immersion or pressure washing.

The most common mistake in this family is translating a test result directly into a LIFE PREDICTION. Accelerated tests are designed for comparison and design verification; a reliable conversion between hours in a chamber and years in the field can only be established with a material-specific acceleration model calibrated against field data.

Functional monitoring determines the value of the test. Keeping a product in a temperature chamber and then switching it on does not show what happened DURING the test. In critical applications the product is operated throughout the test and its parameters are monitored; intermittent faults that appear and disappear can only be caught this way.

Method groups in this field

Temperature
Dry heat, cold, change of temperature and thermal shock; steady and cyclic profiles.
Humidity
Steady damp heat and cyclic damp heat; cycles with condensation are more aggressive.
Water and dust
IP protection tests: dripping, spraying, jets, immersion and dust tightness.
Radiation and ageing
Accelerated ageing by xenon arc and fluorescent UV, solar radiation simulation.
Pressure and altitude
Low pressure (altitude) and rapid pressure change tests.
Corrosive atmosphere
Salt spray, mixed flowing gas corrosion (simulating industrial atmospheres), mould and fungus tests.

Commonly confused in this field

Test duration cannot be converted into field life; a conversion made without an acceleration model is misleading.
Temperature cycling and steady temperature produce different failure modes; neither replaces the other.
If the product is not operated during the test, intermittent faults remain invisible; functional monitoring determines the value of the test.
IP protection is not evidence of durability; it shows protection under defined and short-duration conditions.
A test applied without profile selection both increases cost and gives false confidence.
The mounting and orientation arrangement affects the result; the report must document it.

Which decisions these results support

Design verification and qualification
Declaration of the protection class and operating temperature range
Reproducing field failures in the laboratory and root cause analysis
Supplier component approval
Decisions on warranty period and storage conditions

Related Tests

Frequently Asked Questions About Xenon Arc — ASTM G155

What is the difference between daylight and window-glass filters?

The daylight filter represents outdoor sunlight, while the window-glass filter represents light passing through glass. Interior trim materials are tested with the window-glass filter and exterior parts with the daylight filter.