Polymer lifetime prediction accelerated aging tests

Service lifetime prediction of polymers and/or polymer based materials may be undertaken from different types of tests, such as creep behavior tests (linear and non-linear creep, physical aging, time-dependent plasticity), fatigue behavior tests (stress transfer and normalized life prediction models, empirical fatigue theories, fracture mechanics theory and strength degradation) and standard accelerated aging tests (chemical resistance, thermal stability, liquid absorption) [32]. 

In view of the importance of degradative processes, there are many methods that attempt to predict the lifetime of a sample of polymer under ambient conditions. Manufacturers wish to be able to guarantee a lifetime for a particular formulation of polymer and stabilizers without having to test samples for five or more years. The usual method is to adopt some regime of accelerated aging at high levels of illumination or high... 

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