Patent issued on NIST integrating SPHERE-based weathering device.Patent Number 6,626,052, "Method and Apparatus for Artificial Weathering," was assigned to two NIST (National Institute of Standards & Technology, Washington, DC, www.nist.gov) The standards-defining agency of the U.S. government, formerly the National Bureau of Standards. It is one of three agencies that fall under the Technology Administration (www.technology. scientists on Sept. 30, 2003, for the device known as the Simulated Photodegradation via High Energy Radiant Exposure See: thermal exposure. (SPHERE). It can uniformly irradiate irradiate /ir·ra·di·ate/ (i-rad´e-at) to treat with radiant energy. ir·ra·di·ate v. 1. To expose to radiation, as for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. 2. test specimens with a high-intensity ultraviolet radiant flux while accurately and precisely controlling this flux, in addition to other weathering elements such as temperature and relative humidity relative humidity n. The ratio of the amount of water vapor in the air at a specific temperature to the maximum amount that the air could hold at that temperature, expressed as a percentage. , in order to predict the service life of polymeric materials. The NIST SPHERE provides a source of high-intensity, collimated In a straight line. Collimated light beams are parallel rays of light. UV radiation with a spatial uniformity greater than 95%. Ultraviolet radiant fluxes equivalent to approximately 22 "suns" of solar ultraviolet radiation can be achieved at 32 sphere exit ports. Temperature and relative humidity in the specimen chambers attached to the sphere can also be independently and precisely controlled over wide temperature and relative humidity ranges and over long exposure periods. Additional information on the NIST SPHERE and the NIST Service Life Prediction Program can be found at http://slp.nist.gov. CONTACT: Joannie Chin, (301) 975-6815; joannie.chin@nist.gov. |
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