South Florida’s abundance
of ultraviolet light, moisture and heat combine to offer a challenging
environment for product testing.
Laminated
glass used in automotive windows and windshields is tested to ensure that
materials can withstand the ravages of ultraviolet light and heat.
A unit of the company’s Performance Coatings business, DWS has been in the business of exposing, measuring and analyzing the effects of weather on products of all kinds for nearly 80 years. DWS conducts exposure tests lasting anywhere from a few weeks to several years on a 10-acre site near Hialeah, FL. Its location, in a quiet residential area away from freeways and major air routes, enhances the accuracy of testing because there is little environmental fallout that could skew results.
“The real beauty of this operation is that we can bring the full range of DuPont science and technology to bear on a universe of materials to explain the mechanisms of degradation, make meaningful service-life predictions and even suggest solutions for improving durability and other characteristics,” said John G. McCool, vice president and general manager, DuPont Refinish Systems, the manufacturer of automotive coatings used in collision repair. “It’s fascinating to look at how our scientific capabilities have evolved since the 1920s, when simple visual observations were the principal factor in weathering science.”
DuPont provides weathering studies for many of the company’s own businesses, as well as for independent testing laboratories. The company receives new challenges from companies whose products must survive the ravages of sun, heat and humidity. Tests are designed to measure how weather might affect gloss, adhesion, chemical degradation, cracking and other types of damage due to exposure. Materials routinely tested at Hialeah include films, plastics, pigments, coatings, fibers, sealants and laminates.
“We test a huge range of materials and objects,” said Lesley Jacques, manager of the DuPont Florida weathering station. “Often, testing a finished product is the only way to learn how a certain material might interact with other components under severe-weather conditions. For example, the foam in a seat cushion might react with its fabric cover, or vice versa. One material can change the properties of another with which it is in contact.”
Jacques, a marine biologist by training, has tested plastic garbage cans, golf balls, photovoltaic solar panels, soft-drink bottles, windshields with plastic film interlayers and flags created with DuPont printing inks, as well as the usual assortment of automotive and industrial finishes. An interesting project now under way involves testing the effectiveness and life cycle of environmentally improved, biologically degradable insecticides aimed at controlling termites, a constant threat to Florida homeowners.
“This is also the perfect environment for testing building materials,” said Jacques. “We have the capability to test virtually anything that has to stand up to climatic extremes, including roofing, siding, textiles and geotextiles. We can do the whole job, from test design right through laboratory analysis.”
About the Company
DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer and healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries and regions, DuPont offers a range of products and services for markets that include agriculture and food, building and construction, communications, and transportation.For more information, contact Lesley Jacques, phone (305) 822-8466, or e-mail to leslie.f.jacques@usa.dupont.com.
