Long Term Thermal Aging Test

Polymeric materials used in parts that will be exposed to high temperatures have to prove their adequate thermal properties

Some electrical/electronic products reach high temperature during their operation. Polymeric materials used in such products are at risk of deterioration that can adversely affect the safety of the products. The standards applicable for these products specify the maximum usage temperature that the polymeric material will be subjected to in the end use of that product. Therefore, a product designer would select the material not only based on considerations of properties suitable for actual use, but also of RTI (Relative Thermal Index) that shows maximum usage temperature. The higher the RTI, the more flexible the usage. Therefore, having high RTI is a great advantage for sales promotion.

Chemitox has conducted more than 350 projects of long term thermal aging test over the last 30 years. Because we have more than 300 ovens, we can conduct tests swiftly and can reduce your waiting time to minimum. Our experienced engineers will suggest the best and most efficient test program and carry out the whole project with care. We conduct thermal aging test by placing the control material which already obtained RTI, and candidate material to be evaluated in the same oven. We then evaluate RTI by using Arrhenius Graph based on the test result. The following is the minimum requirement for the program to evaluate life span 500 hours or more at the maximum temperature, and 5000 hours or more at the minimum temperature.

In 2013, it became possible to obtain RTI with 2000 hours aging by comparing the thermal properties of new and old compositions with regard to polymer variation (change in composition). This shorter lead time is a great advantage. This method examines thermal properties of both old and new compositions by conducting Thermogravimetric Analysis Method (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). For all of these testings, our test equipment is the equivalent quality of equipment used by UL. Therefore, not only it is possible to evaluate the property of the product under development, but also it is possible to prepare for the tests at UL.