Surface temperature is a critical factor for the rate of photochemical reactions in weathering. But until now, the measurement of surface temperatures has not been feasible for multiple samples in laboratory weathering instruments. The result has been that surface temperature is often neglected during testing or only roughly estimated based on black and white standard or panel reference temperatures.

At the core of the S³T system is an integrated, contactless IR pyrometer, which accurately and precisely measures and assigns the surface temperature of each specimen and can operate continuously during the complete exposure.

The S³T system allows for:

• Better reproduction of natural conditions, such as heat uptake and color distribution 
• Better control of test parameters to avoid overheating of specimens
• Continuous tracing of the specific sample temperature, allowing for the immediate detection of property changes, such as darkening, without disruption of the test
• Investigation of specific sample characteristics, such as activation energies of photochemical degradation reactions, for cool pigments, IR-reflective coatings and heat and light stabilizers.

The Atlas S³T system is available now for the Ci4400 and Ci5000 Weather-Ometers. For more information, visit atlas-mts.com.