A Circulating Oven is an environment or Climate Chamber used to simulate accelerated Conditioning conditions on a material or object to test the weathering resistance of the item. Testing may include various Conditioning cycles while introducing UV, water, heat and corrosive conditions.
These chambers are useful in developing materials that will be exposed to external conditions. The ability of a material to retain its desired performance after sustained exposure to efflorescence provides an estimate of the useful life of the material. Research and development help determine the factors needed to design more reliable materials that can handle harsh conditions.
The environmental conditions that cause efflorescence include:
Humidity
Temperature (including sudden changes in temperature)
height
Water
salt spray
ultraviolet radiation
The natural efflorescence of materials exposed to the above conditions can take many years, which is impractical for rapid testing and development of products. Therefore, the Conditioning Room provides a space to create artificial weather conditions in an accelerated and controlled manner. Examples include:
Simulate sunlight using dedicated gas discharge, arc or fluorescent lamps
Testing the effectiveness of corrosion resistant coating
Various properties can be tested. Typically, Mechanical Properties such as tensile strength, elasticity or visible properties such as discoloration and cracking are evaluated. Miscellaneous materials can be tested for their ability to resist corrosive salt spray.
