Q/SQR T1-7-2013

Replace Q/SQR T1-7-2012

Xenon arc lamp continuous irradiation test for

trims in the interior parts of automobiles

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 Q/SQR.XX.XXX-2004

Preface
This professional standards consists of scope, normative references, terms, test apparatus and test specimen
requirement, test conditions, test methods, test specimen assessment, expression of test results, and etc.
Meanwhile its format and content shall be subject to GB/T1.1-2009.
The main changes to this standard are as follows:
(1) The title of this standard was renamed, read as: Xenon arc lamp continuous irradiation test for trims in the
interior parts of automobiles;
(2) For Scope, a remark and description was added for the scope of trims in the interior parts of automobiles;
(3) For Normative references, the standards were converted according to our company’s professional standard
system;
(4) For selection of 4.1 Test apparatus, the models of equipment which can’t conform to the current existing
standards were deleted, and only the technical requirements on the apparatus and its related technology were
provided;
(5) For selection of 5.1 Test conditions, the models of equipment which can’t conform to the current existing
standards were deleted, and only the technical conditions which are currently used in the test were provided;
(6) In para. 6.2, the irradiation cycle was defined according to the radiant exposure and the provisions in the
automobile industry, and the computation formula for the radiant exposure was added;
(7) For expression of test results, the investigation on the assessment of change in appearance and colour of
test specimens after irradiation was provided;
(8) The name of company and the professional standard number were updated;

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 Q/SQR.XX.XXX-2004

Xenon arc lamp continuous irradiation test for trims in the interior parts
of automobiles
1 Scope
This standard is applicable to the xenon arc lamp continuous irradiation test of trims in the interior parts of
automobiles (including plastic parts, rubber parts, fabric lining, leather products, paint coatings, composite
structural parts, and etc).
2 Normative references
The following documents are necessary for application of this standard. For dated references, only the dated
edition(s) of the normative document referred to applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the
normative document (including all amendments) referred to applies.
GB 250 Gray scale for assessing change in colour
GB 6529 Textiles - Standard atmospheres for conditioning and testing
GB/T 16991 Textiles - Test for colour fastness - Colour fastness and ageing to artificial light at high
temperatures: Xenon arc
FZ/T 01047 Standard light sources and conditions for visual assessment of textile colour fastness
3 Terms
3.1 Continuous irradiation
In case of irradiation, the test specimens to be tested and the standard samples of colour fastness to light shall
face to the light source at all times.
3.2 Dry irradiation
During this test, no water is sprayed to any test specimen at any time. However, in the test apparatus, the
relative humidity will be adjusted to the relative air humidity specified in this standard according to the
irradiation conditions.
4 Test apparatus and test specimen requirements
4.1 Test apparatus
The xenon arc ageing tester conforming to the technical requirements described in Table 1 must be used, can
reach the specified light irradiation intensity and can be controlled, and conforms to GB/T 16991. To ensure
the comparability of experimental results between suppliers and customers, the use of test apparatus of the
same model is recommended.
It is recommended that the xenon arc ageing tester is installed in the laboratory with air conditioner, or that
other appropriate cooling or heating devices are used.
4.2 Test specimen requirements
4.2.1 Test specimen size
It is recommended that maximum clamping test area of the original specimen support for related equipment is
preferred.
For the purpose of inspection of “colour fastness”, the minimum dimensions of test specimens depend on its
evaluauton methods.

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 Q/SQR.XX.XXX-2004

In case that the area of test specimen is less than the area of the specimen support, the specimen shall be
laterally clamped onto the test support and paralleled to the test support as possible.
Table 1
Test apparatus: Xenon arc ageing tester
Apparatus configuration Technical parameters Remark
Light source Xenon arc lamp /
2
Range of light irradiation intensity (0.61-2.76)W/m /
Water-cooled Drum-type structure
Xenon arc lamp cooling method Flat-plate-type
Air-cooled
structure
1 pcs Drum-type structure
Quantity of lamps of light source Flat-plate-type
3 pcs
structure
Internal filter: Borosilicate glasses
Test apparatus’ main Drum-type structure
External filter: Soda-lime glasses
technical requirements Light filter
Flat-plate-type
Window glass filter
structure
Irradiation intensity monitoring point 420nm /
Fluctuation of irradiation intensity ±5% /
Temperature uniformity of air inside
≤2℃ /
the test chamber
Accuracy of relative humidity inside
±5% /
the test chamber
Continuous irradiation, dry
Cycle of operation /
irradiation

4.2.2 Thickness of test specimen

The test specimen with the thickness of actual on-vehicle product shall be used for light irradiation, and if it
is multi-layer compound fabrics or composite structure, the test specimen is irradiated according to the
original thickness of the composite material as possible.
4.2.3 Quantity of test specimens
At least 3 test specimens shall be prepared for each sample to be tested, 2 specimens of which is for the test
inspection and 1 specimen of which is acted as the reference specimen after test.
4.2.4 Specification and quantity of special test specimens
When the change in mechanical performance of material before and after irradiation is required to be
investigated, the standard test specimens of the corresponding specification and quantity shall be prepared
according to the requirements of test specimen and test method.
4.3 Test specimen support
4.3.1 Application of standard test specimen support
The test specimens shall be prepared as per 4.2 and clamped onto the standard test specimen support, and
then installed onto the support of a xenon arc agening tester. The gap on the test specimen support shall be
fully filled up with the specimen holders.
5 Test conditions

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 Q/SQR.XX.XXX-2004

5.1 Refer to Table 2 for these main test conditions during continuous irradiation of test specimens of trims in
the interior parts of automobiles.
Table 2

S/N Parameters Set value

1 Standard temperature for black colour (100±3)℃

2 Air temperature inside the test chamber (65±3)℃

3 Relative air humidity inside the test chamber (20±10)％

4 Irradiation intensity 1.20W/ m2 @420nm

It is determined according to the installation position of test

specimens in a vehicle and the light impact on it as well as
5 Irradiation cycle
the illumination intensity received in the actual operating
location

Internal filter: Sodium borosilicate glass, external filter:

6 Light filtering system Soda-lime glass;

or window glass filter

6 Test Method
6.1 Basic test methods
The light filtering system shall be regularly visually inspected and cleaned or replaced, and after a xenon arc
lamp is operated for more than 200h, the xenon arc lamp shall be calibrated for irradiation intensity using a
standard lamp. The xenon arc lamp shall be replaced when its irradiation intensity decays by 15% or more or
after it works for 2,000h. The internal filter shalll be replaced after it works for 400h, and the external filter
shall be replaced after it works for 2,000h.
Irradiation cycle
The required irradiation cycle can be determined according the assembly position of the test specimen in a
vehicle and the illumination intensity received in the actual operating location. The irradiation test shall be
continuously conducted, and the related test specimen holders can be taken out from the test chamber only
when the inspection is required.
When the equipment meets the requirements listed in Tables 1 and 2, at the narrow-band wave length of
420nm, the corresponding light radiant exposure per hour irradiated onto a test specimen is approx.
4.32KJ/m2. It is specified that 1 irradiation cycle is 50h,and the light radiant exposure for 1 irradiation cycle
is 216KJ/m2 .
The test cycle or radiant exposure selected during the xenon arc lamp irradiation test of trims in the interior
parts of automobiles are listed in Table 3. When the light radiant exposure is known, the irradiation time can
be calculated according to the equation 1.
Table 3

S/N Irradiation cycle (pcs) Irradiation time (h) Radiant exposure (KJ/m2 )@420nm

1 1 50 216

2 2 100 432

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 Q/SQR.XX.XXX-2004

3 3 150 648

4 4 200 864

5 5 250 1080

6 … … …

7 10 500 2160

The computational formula for radiant exposure:

Q=3.6×E×t
Where:
Q - Radiant exposure, expressed in kilojoule per meter (KJ/m2 );
E - Irradiance (intensity), expressed in watt per square meter (W/m2 );
T - Irradiation time, expressed in hour (h);
3.6 - Conversion constant.
6.2 Bar tensile test of textile materials after light irradiation
For the test specimens for the bar tensile test, it is directly cut along the circle if it is a knitted product, and it
is directly cut along the yarn if it is a textile.
After light irradiation, the test specimen’s edge range which is covered by the test specimen support and thus
can’t be irradiated shall be cut off prior to test, and in advance subjected to the normalizing treatment for at
least 24h at the standard atmosphere according to GB 6529. The free clamping length of the test specimen
(the measuring length) is 100mm, and the feeding speed is 100mm/min, and the measured tensile breaking
force shall be converted to the specimen width of 50mm.
6.3 Needed additional tests
To identify the light reliability of the materials, when the inspection is done during the light irradiation and
after the completion of the irradiation, the additional tests are also needed (for example: brushing finish,
rubbing fastness test or Martindale friction test).
7 Test specimen assessment and expression of test results
7.1 Appearance inspection of test specimens
Check whether the surface of test specimens has change or not, such as wrinkling, colour fading or change,
chalking, sticking, hardening, softening, peeling, dulling, blistering, precipitating, crack, change in
glossiness, and etc.
7.2 Assessment of change in colour of test specimens
Assessment criteria: For the comparison of colour between the irradiated test specimens and non-irradiated
test specimens, its contrast of change in depth of colour (e.g.: white scale) is taken as a reference, and the test
specimens for light irradiation are assessed using the visual inspection method and/or colourimetric method.
If the test specimens have the change in colour after light irradiation, it shall be generally assessed as
inconformity to the requirements of para. 7.2.1 (visual inspection method) or 7.2.2 (colourimetric method). It
is specifically assessed according to the acceptance criteria.
7.2.1 Visual inspection method

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 Q/SQR.XX.XXX-2004

With the light source which conforms to FZ/T 01047, and with the help of the GB 250 which is used to
evaluate the gray scale of change in colour, the irradiated test specimens shall be assessed by at least 2
well-trained test staffs with normal vision, and the result of light irradiation is evaluted with the gray scale.
7.2.2 Colourimetric method
To avoid that there is obvious difference between the assessment results from different test staffs and the
repeat of the assessment task, apart from the assessment using the visual inspection method, a spectrometer is
used for the statistic analysis of colourimetric results according to Cielab International Commission on
Illumination’s laboratory standard.
If it is the monocolour homogeneous surface, it shall be measured for at least three times, and its average is
obtained. If it is a multi-colour structure test specimen or anisotropic scattering test specimen (e.g.: lint cloth),
the number of measurements shall be increased accordingly, and then the average is obtained.
If it is measured with a colour measuring instrument, the maximum measuring surface shall be selected. If it
is assessed item by item, such as the measurement of different colours, the relatively small measuring surface
is used.
7.3 Expression oftest results
The test report shall include the information:
1) Standard for the test
2) Test apparatus and test conditions
3) Test specimen information
4) Light irradiation cycles or irradiation time
5) Expression oftest results: appearance inspection record and change in colour (in general, gray scale or

dE * )

6) Test time

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