JP2008216001A - Weatherability testing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a weatherability testing machine capable of performing a weatherability evaluation test in a more markedly short time than a conventional testing machine utilizing ultraviolet irradiation and imparting a weatherability evaluation test results higher in correlation with outdoor natural exposure than those of the conventional methods that use irradiation of radicals formed by remote plasma. <P>SOLUTION: The weatherability testing machine has a test chamber, constituted so that its inside is held to pressure lower than atmospheric pressure enabling exhaustion, and the test chamber includes a remote plasma source for forming atomic or molecular radical radiation flux and a light source for forming an ultraviolet radiation flux and the base material to be tested, arranged in the inside of the testing chamber, is arranged at a position where the radical radiation flux and the ultraviolet radiation flux can be emitted at the same time. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a weather resistance testing apparatus for performing an evaluation test by accelerating and degrading an organic or organic / inorganic composite material such as plastic, coating film, and paper in a short time.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there exists a weather resistance test apparatus that accelerates and degrades a material containing an organic substance such as a plastic or a coating film as a main component in a shorter time than outdoor exposure, and performs an evaluation test on the durability and life of the material.

  As such an apparatus, for example, a substrate is irradiated with pseudo-sunlight including ultraviolet radiation emitted from various lamp light sources, and an outdoor natural exposure test that takes a long time from several months to several decades is performed. An accelerated deterioration test apparatus that can be evaluated in a time within 1000 hours is generally known.

Furthermore, as another method, under reduced pressure, the plasma generation unit and the plasma irradiation unit (substrate to be tested) are placed at a distance, and the substrate is irradiated with oxygen radicals (atomic oxygen) generated from the plasma. By using a remote plasma device, an accelerated test method that can evaluate degradation acceleration within several hours has been proposed and disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 and the like.
JP 2003-322607 A JP 2004-212380 A

  However, with the former method, although there is a correlation with outdoor exposure, the time required for evaluation is still several hundred hours or more, so it does not lead to shortening the development period and development cost of organic systems, especially plastics and paint materials. There were drawbacks.

  Further, in the latter method disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, according to detailed supplementary tests conducted by the inventors on various conditions using an apparatus prepared by analogy with the literature, the radiant heat from the remote plasma source is obtained. In order to avoid thermal degradation of the substrate to be tested due to, it is necessary to increase the distance between the remote plasma source and the substrate to be tested by about 20 cm or more. Even if it is generated, the amount of the plasma will be halved in the downstream area where the substrate to be tested is placed, so that the plasma utilization efficiency will be poor, and the device itself will be enlarged, and the cost required for the plasma source and the decompression device will be considered. There was still room for improvement in terms of cost effectiveness.

  Furthermore, in the latter method, according to the follow-up experiment by the inventors, the influence of ultraviolet radiation (UV light), which is an important deterioration factor existing in the natural environment, is hardly taken into consideration, so oxygen radicals (atomic oxygen) ) Is preferentially promoted to oxidize the very surface layer of the base material, and it cannot reproduce the degradation that occurs due to actual outdoor natural exposure, such as surface degradation, choking, yellowing, and so on. It has been found that there is a drawback that it is difficult to obtain a correlation with natural exposure.

  In view of the above problems, the first aspect of the present invention is weather resistance capable of performing an evaluation test in a much shorter time than a conventional test apparatus using ultraviolet irradiation from a lamp light source, which is a conventional method. The purpose is to provide test equipment. Furthermore, the second aspect aims to provide a weather resistance test apparatus having a higher correlation with outdoor natural exposure than the conventional method using irradiation of radicals generated by remote plasma.

  In the weather resistance test, the inventors simultaneously performed ultraviolet irradiation from a lamp light source and radical irradiation by remote plasma on a substrate to be tested, as well as outdoor natural exposure tests, as well as conventional ultraviolet irradiation methods. The present invention was constructed by discovering that a test result having a high correlation with outdoor natural exposure can be obtained in a particularly short time.

  That is, in order to solve the above-described problems, the weather resistance test apparatus of the present invention has a test chamber configured such that the inside can be evacuated and maintained at a pressure equal to or lower than atmospheric pressure, and the test chamber is atomic or molecular A remote plasma source that generates a radical radiant flux and a light source that generates an ultraviolet radiant flux, and a substrate to be tested disposed inside the test chamber simultaneously irradiates the radical radiant flux and the ultraviolet radiant flux. Try to be placed where possible.

  In the apparatus of the present invention, the ultraviolet radiant flux includes ultraviolet rays having a wavelength range of 400 nm or less.

  Further, the distance between the substrate to be tested and the remote plasma source arranged in the test chamber and the distance between the substrate to be tested and the light source are all within 15 cm.

  The source gas supplied to the remote plasma source may be either oxygen or water vapor alone or a mixed gas thereof.

  Further, the sample stage on which the substrate to be tested is placed includes a temperature measuring means and a temperature adjusting mechanism, and the temperature of the substrate to be tested is maintained within a range of 10 ° C to 70 ° C.

  Furthermore, in the apparatus of the present invention, an illuminometer for measuring the ultraviolet radiant flux from the light source is provided.

  According to the present invention, acceleration having a high correlation with outdoor natural exposure in a shorter time than a conventional weathering test apparatus using ultraviolet irradiation alone or a remote weathering test apparatus using remote plasma that irradiates only oxygen radicals. A deterioration evaluation test is possible.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  1 and 2 are schematic views showing a weather resistance test apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The weather resistance test apparatus 1 of the present invention is characterized in that the substrate to be tested 4 is arranged at a position where the radical radiant flux 11 and the ultraviolet radiant flux 12 can be irradiated simultaneously. First, the substrate to be tested 4 is placed at a predetermined position of the sample stage 5 in the test chamber 10, and the inside of the test chamber 10 is evacuated to a predetermined pressure by an evacuation unit (not shown), and then the remote plasma source 2 described later. The substrate to be tested 4 is irradiated with the radical radiant flux 11 generated from the above, and at the same time, the substrate to be tested 4 is irradiated with the ultraviolet radiant flux 12 emitted from the light source 3.

The pressure inside the test chamber 10 at this time is appropriately determined depending on the desired test conditions, but is exhausted and maintained at a pressure at which plasma generation is not difficult, generally within a range of about atmospheric pressure to 10 ⁻² Pa. The

  The remote plasma source used in the present invention is of a type in which plasma is excited after oxygen or water vapor is introduced as a raw material gas into a radical source or the like which is a known technique equipped in a decompression device.

  As illustrated in FIG. 3, the remote plasma source 2 has an induction coil 31 disposed in close contact with a cylindrical dielectric 30 made of quartz glass or alumina, and the induction coil 31 prevents leakage to a high frequency external space. Further, the outer periphery is covered with a metal cover 32, and after introducing the raw material gas 8 into the cylindrical dielectric 30, a high frequency is applied to the induction coil 31 to generate desired plasma. .

  Although the configuration of the remote plasma source is not shown here, for example, the electrode is formed by applying an electric field to a pair of metal counter electrodes each having a certain gap in a flat plate or cylindrical shape. A configuration for generating plasma in an interstitial gap or a configuration for generating plasma by supplying microwaves into a reduced-pressure discharge chamber through a dielectric window material can be used as conventional means.

  In addition, examples of the power source for generating discharge plasma used here include those capable of outputting a direct current (DC) or a frequency band of kHz, MHz, and GHz, depending on pressure conditions, electrode configuration, shape, and the like. Appropriate selection is possible.

  Further details of the configuration of the remote plasma source 2 illustrated in FIG. 3 will be described. A metal or dielectric orifice plate 33 having a plurality of orifices is arranged in close contact with the decompression space side of the discharge chamber 21, that is, on the emission port. Here, by setting the hole diameter of these orifices to a dimension sufficiently smaller than the thickness of the ion sheath of the plasma 20, for example, 0.5 mm or less, ion species generated in the plasma 20 are captured inside the discharge chamber 21, Diffusion to the decompression space is prevented. On the other hand, radicals having no charge generated from the plasma 20 are emitted as a radiant flux 11 to the reduced pressure space and irradiated onto the substrate 3 to be tested. ) And an unnecessary increase in the substrate temperature due to it can be greatly reduced.

  Furthermore, although not shown in detail here, in order to completely eliminate the influence of ions and electrons, a metal mesh to which a predetermined bias voltage is applied is provided below the plate 33 that is the exit of the radical radiant flux 11. It is good also as a structure which arrange | positions and attracts and removes by a metal mesh part so that ion and an electron may not reach to the to-be-tested base material 4. FIG. From the viewpoint of oxidative degradation of the substrate 4 to be tested, atomic oxygen (.O) which is much more active than ionic species and electrons, and hydroxyl radicals (.OH) having a stronger oxidizing power are preferably used. Each of them is configured to be irradiated on the substrate to be tested 4 alone or in combination.

  In addition, the radical as used in the field of this invention is a general term for the active chemical species which have an unpaired electron, and has the property that it is very reactive. For observation of radicals, although not particularly shown here, an emission spectroscopic analysis method (OES) that can monitor emission excited species from plasma, or a quartz crystal using a frequency fluctuation of a crystal element coated with a silver thin film. Measurement by a vibrator microbalance method (QCM) is preferably used.

  Next, in the apparatus of the present invention, as the light source 3, a lamp light source capable of generating an ultraviolet radiant flux (indicated by a dotted arrow in the figure) having a wavelength of 400 nm or less, for example, a low pressure mercury lamp, a high pressure mercury lamp, a xenon lamp, a metal halide lamp. Xenon excimer lamps are preferably used. The reason why it is necessary to include synchrotron radiation of the above wavelength or less is caused by irradiation with ultraviolet radiation of 290 to 345 nm, about 30% of oxidative deterioration of organic substances such as plastic resin and ink paint, This is because it has been verified that visible radiation light having a wavelength of 400 nm or more exceeding this range hardly contributes to deterioration (reference document: “material property evaluation technology of polymer material”, Hashimoto, Industrial Research Committee).

  For this reason, in this invention, if it is ultraviolet radiation of the said range, a specific single wavelength or a continuous spectrum may be sufficient, for example, UV-LED etc. may be used as a single wavelength light source. Further, it may include visible radiation or infrared radiation mixed with ultraviolet radiation in the above range. In addition, when there is a risk that the radiant flux outside the above range may cause an unnecessary increase in temperature of the substrate to be tested, a band-pass filter (optical multilayer thin film) that transmits only the radiant flux of 400 nm or less on the glass surface of the lamp light source. Etc.) may be used.

  As the ultraviolet radiant flux, specifically, light having a wavelength of mercury emission lines of 365 nm, 254 nm, 185 nm, xenon dimer emission line of 172 nm, and the like are preferably used. In addition to the above-mentioned oxidative degradation, these ultraviolet radiations are based on the relationship E (eV) = λ (nm) / 1240, and the light E having shorter radiation wavelength λ (nm) has higher energy E (eV). Various chemical bonds on the surface of the material can be easily cut, and further, deterioration promoting properties can be easily obtained. The illuminance of each wavelength is always measured and monitored by the illuminance meter corresponding to each wavelength provided in the test chamber 10.

  In addition to the configuration shown in FIG. 1 arranged directly in the vacuum, the light source 3 can be arranged to transmit ultraviolet radiation having a wavelength of 400 nm or less and separate the atmosphere from the vacuum, as shown in FIG. It is good also as a structure which irradiates the ultraviolet radiation flux 12 with respect to the to-be-tested substrate 4 from the light source 3 arrange | positioned through the window 40 at the atmosphere side.

  Further, in the present invention, the radical radiant flux 11 generated from the remote plasma source 2 and the ultraviolet radiant flux 12 from the light source 3 are arranged at positions where the substrate to be tested can be irradiated simultaneously, thereby irradiating each independently. Compared with the conventional apparatus, the deterioration in a state very close to outdoor exposure can be reproduced. That is, complex degradation that frequently occurs in outdoor natural exposure, for example, degradation such as a color change (color difference) on the substrate surface due to the cleavage of chemical bonding groups on the substrate surface caused by irradiation of the ultraviolet radiation flux 12, and Deterioration such as choking caused by oxidation of the substrate surface caused by irradiation of the radical bundle 11 was difficult to be combined and reproduced at the same time by the conventional method apparatus. It is possible to make it.

  In addition, according to the present invention, depending on the type of substrate to be tested, by using a hydroxyl radical (.OH), an environment close to the humidified state of natural outdoor exposure can be simulated, and in addition to promoting deterioration, High correlation with natural exposure can be obtained. The synergistic effect of accelerated deterioration by the device of the present invention will be described in detail in a later example.

  In the apparatus of the present invention, in order to ensure the correlation with outdoor natural exposure, the substrate to be tested 4 and the sample stage 5 on which the substrate is placed are provided with temperature measuring means 6 and a temperature adjusting mechanism 7, respectively. It is possible to hold the base material 4 at a predetermined temperature within the range of 10 to 70 ° C.

  The reason for setting the substrate temperature within the above range is that dew condensation may occur on the substrate 4 to be tested if it is less than 10 ° C., and if the temperature exceeds 70 ° C., deterioration promoting properties tend to be easily obtained, but organic This is because, in the case of a base material to be treated, melting and alteration occur due to thermal degradation, and there is no correlation with outdoor natural exposure. Here, the case where the temperature of the substrate to be tested 4 is directly measured is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the temperature of the sample stage 5 may be indirectly measured.

  1 shows a case where a general thermocouple is used as the temperature measuring means 6 of the substrate 4 to be tested and a circulating water cooling mechanism to the sample stage 5 is used as the temperature adjusting mechanism 7. As shown in FIG. 2, an indirect temperature measuring instrument such as a radiation thermometer 70 may be used as the temperature measuring means 6, and the temperature adjusting mechanism 7 is provided with a Peltier element or a heat pipe as a cooling means. Further, an electric heater, a halogen lamp, or the like may be used alone or in combination as heating means for preventing condensation, and the temperature may be adjusted in conjunction with the temperature measuring means 6. Thereby, in order to promote processing, the temperature of the substrate to be tested 4 is kept at room temperature or higher, and unnecessary temperature rise of the substrate to be tested 4 due to radiant heat from the remote plasma source 2 and the light source 3 is prevented. Is possible.

  The substrate to be tested due to radiant heat from the remote plasma source 2, which has been a problem in the conventional technique, is maintained by the temperature measuring means 6 and the temperature adjusting mechanism 7 in the temperature range of 10 to 70 ° C. Therefore, the distance between the substrate under test 4 and the remote plasma source 2 and between the substrate under test 4 and the light source 3 can be sufficiently reduced. Specifically, each distance between the substrate under test 4 and the remote plasma source 2 and between the substrate under test 4 and the light source 3 can be within 15 cm, and the generated radical radiant flux 11 and ultraviolet radiant flux 12 are effectively used. In addition, the test apparatus itself can be downsized, which is economically advantageous.

  Furthermore, as an apparatus of the present invention, a remote plasma source 2 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be used as long as it can irradiate the substrate 4 to be tested with the radical radiant flux 11 and the ultraviolet radiant flux 12 simultaneously. The present invention is not limited to the configuration having one light source 3 each, and as shown in FIG. 4, two remote plasma sources (2A, 2B) and a plurality of light sources (3A, 3B, 3C) are provided. Depending on the test purpose, for example, oxygen radical (.O) is generated from one remote plasma source 2A, and hydroxyl radical (.OH) is generated from another remote plasma source 2B. On the other hand, from the light sources 3A, 3B, and 3C, ultraviolet rays having wavelengths of 365 nm, 254 nm, and 185 nm are respectively monitored through the optical window 40, and the illuminance is appropriately monitored by the illuminometer 50. While, it may be configured to irradiate the object to be treated substrate 4.

  Examples of specific embodiments of the present invention are shown below.

The remote plasma source 2 having the structure shown in FIG. 3 was set and used in the test chamber 10 having the configuration shown in FIG. First, the inside of the stainless steel chamber of the test chamber 10 is evacuated to a level of 10 ⁻¹ Pa by a rotary pump (not shown), and then oxygen gas is introduced as a source gas 8 from the remote plasma source 2 to a pressure of 2 × 10 ² Pa level. An oxygen plasma was generated in the discharge chamber 21 by applying a high frequency of 1006 MHz of 13.56 MHz to the induction coil 31 shown in FIG.

  In order to examine whether oxygen radicals are generated or not, an emission spectroscopic analysis was performed through an optical window (not shown) attached to the test chamber 10, and as a result, a distance of about 50 mm from the alumina dielectric plate 33 having a plurality of holes of φ0.5 mm was obtained. Only an emission peak having a wavelength of 777 nm attributed to atomic oxygen (O) was observed in the space, and it was confirmed that oxygen radicals were selectively emitted into the test chamber 10. An example of the emission spectral analysis result at that time is shown in FIG.

  In the above description, only the case where an oxygen radical is used is illustrated, but as described above, a hydroxyl radical (.OH) having a stronger oxidizing power than an oxygen radical can also be used. In order to generate a hydroxyl radical (.OH), water vapor is preferably used as a raw material gas. However, if only water vapor is introduced as a raw material gas, it may be difficult to generate plasma. For example, a humidified oxygen gas or an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon as a carrier gas is mixed with water vapor. It is also possible to use a mixed gas of

Next, a high-pressure mercury lamp (100 W) having an ultraviolet radiation wavelength of 365 nm and an irradiance of 60 mW / cm ² is set as the light source 3 in the test chamber 10 in advance, connected to a dedicated ballast not shown here, and turned on. In this state, the central axes of the remote plasma source 2 and the light source 3 (indicated by the alternate long and short dash line in the figure) intersect on the sample stage 5 (at a distance of 15 cm from the end face of each irradiation source), A barium sulfate-containing polyethylene terephthalate sheet (hereinafter referred to as PET sheet), which is a backlight reflector for a liquid crystal panel, is arranged as a substrate to be tested 4 and radiated from the oxygen radical bundle 11 generated from the remote plasma source 2 and the light source 3. The base material 4 was simultaneously irradiated with the ultraviolet ray flux 12 thus formed for 30 minutes.

  An example of the spectral distribution of the lamp light source 3 used at this time is shown in FIG. In addition, inside the aluminum sample stage 5 supporting the substrate to be tested 4 (dotted line), there is provided temperature adjusting means 7 through which cooling water flows and is connected to a cooling water circulation device (not shown). During the test, the surface temperature of the substrate to be tested 4 was maintained within the range of 35 to 40 ° C. by interlocking with the temperature measurement by the thermocouple (temperature measuring means 6).

  As a substrate to be tested 4, a SPCC steel plate is subjected to a phosphate chemical conversion treatment, and then a solvent-acrylic resin paint is sprayed on one side with a film thickness of about 20 μm, and a white painted plate (baked at 105 ° C. for 3 hours) Hereinafter, the test was carried out under the same conditions as in Example 1 except that an acrylic white painted plate) was used.

  As a base material 4 to be tested, a SPCC steel sheet is subjected to a phosphate chemical conversion treatment, and then a solvent urethane resin paint is sprayed on a film thickness of about 40 μm, and then naturally dried for 1 hour (hereinafter referred to as a urethane white paint board). ) Was used under the same conditions as in Examples 1 and 2.

<Comparative Example 1>
Metal halide lamp type weather resistance, which is said to have a high correlation with outdoor natural exposure, as the treated substrate 4, the PET sheet, acrylic white painted plate, and urethane white painted plate used in Examples 1 to 3. Accelerated testing machine, set on Iwasaki Electric Eye Super UV Tester (SUV-W151), temperature 63 ° C, humidity 60%, UV illumination 150mW / cm ² , PET sheet 100 hours, acrylic white painted plate The urethane-based white painted plate was subjected to an exposure test for 1000 hours. In addition, it is known that 100 hours of this exposure test corresponds to about one year of outdoor natural exposure, and 1000 hours corresponds to about 10 years.

<Comparative example 2>
The apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is used, oxygen radicals are generated under conditions of oxygen introduction pressure level of 2 × 10 ² Pa level, 13.56 MHz high frequency 100 W, and the light source 3 is not turned on, and the distance from the remote plasma source 2 is 15 cm. The test was carried out by irradiating only the oxygen radical bundle 11 for 30 minutes with respect to the PET sheet placed on the surface. As in Example 1, the surface temperature of the substrate to be tested 4 was maintained within the range of 35 to 40 ° C. during the test.

<Comparative Example 3>
Using the same apparatus as in Comparative Example 2, only the light source 3 with an ultraviolet radiation wavelength of 365 nm and an irradiance of 60 mW / cm ² is turned on at an oxygen introduction pressure level of 2 × 10 ² Pa, and placed at a distance of 15 cm from the end face of the light source 3. The test was carried out by irradiating only the ultraviolet radiant flux 12 in a reduced pressure oxygen atmosphere for 30 minutes to the PET sheet. As in Example 1, the surface temperature of the substrate to be tested 4 was maintained within the range of 35 to 40 ° C. during the test.

<Measurement 1>
In order to examine the color change of the PET base material after the test, a color difference (ΔE * a * b) with respect to an untreated product was measured with a spectral color difference meter (SE2000) manufactured by Nippon Denshoku Industries Co., Ltd. The results are shown in Table 1.

<Measurement 2>
In order to investigate the color change of the acrylic white paint board and urethane white paint board after the test, the color difference (ΔE * a * b) with respect to the untreated product was measured with a spectrophotometer (SE2000) manufactured by Nippon Denshoku Industries, as in Measurement 1. Was measured. The results are shown in Table 2.

<Measurement 3>
Furthermore, in order to examine the change in the reflection state due to the roughening of the surface of the acrylic white painted plate and urethane white painted plate after the test, the diffuse reflectance was measured with a Murakami color reflectometer (HR100). The results are shown in Table 3.

  The PET sheet of the backlight light reflecting material for a liquid crystal panel, which is a substrate to be tested, was white in the initial state and had a high reflectance, but as shown in Table 1, it was tested by the method of Comparative Example 1. After the test, the yellow color was noticeable and the glossiness was lost. As a result of the measurement, the color difference was 6.1. On the other hand, after performing the test by the method of Example 1, the color difference becomes 7.5, and in visual observation, in addition to yellowing, choking deterioration (chalking) is recognized, and when the surface is rubbed lightly, the powder falls. became.

  In contrast, the irradiation with only oxygen radicals according to Comparative Example 2 caused almost no color change and a color difference of 0.9, but caused choking deterioration. In the irradiation with only the ultraviolet radiation according to Comparative Example 3, only a slight yellowing (color difference 2.8) was observed visually.

  In the test method (Example 1) using the apparatus of the present invention and the test methods of Comparative Examples 2 and 3 corresponding to the conventional method, the color change evaluated by the color difference is obtained in the same test time (30 minutes). There was a significant difference, indicating that the test method using the apparatus of the present invention gives a color difference much closer to the test result of outdoor natural exposure.

  From the above results, the test for 100 minutes of the UV tester of Comparative Example 1, that is, the test result corresponding to about one year or more of outdoor natural exposure is obtained in the test for 30 minutes (Example 1) using the apparatus of the present invention. It was revealed that the time required for the evaluation test can be greatly shortened.

  Furthermore, in organic materials, it is an equally important deterioration phenomenon as a change in color difference. Chalking (chalking) that frequently occurs in long-term outdoor natural exposure is reduced by the combined effect of simultaneous irradiation with oxygen radicals and ultraviolet radiation. It became clear that it was reproducible in time. This indicates that if a weather resistance test using the apparatus of the present invention is performed, a correlation with a change in the sample surface actually caused by outdoor natural exposure can be secured.

  From Table 2, by simultaneous irradiation of oxygen radicals and ultraviolet radiation according to Examples 2 and 3, the color difference of the acrylic and urethane white coated plates changed from 5.7 to 6.8 in 30 minutes. On the other hand, in Comparative Example 1 (UV tester exposure test) which is a conventional technique, the test time is 1000 hours (equivalent to about 10 years of outdoor natural exposure), and the color difference is 5.1 or less. It was found that the deterioration acceleration test can be performed in a short time.

  From Table 3, as a result of diffuse reflectance measurement showing the surface roughened state of acrylic white paint board and urethane white paint board, Comparative Example 1 of the conventional method, 1000 hours test by UV tester (equivalent to outdoor natural exposure for 10 years) In Example 2, 3, an increase in diffuse reflectance of 3% or more was observed in a short period of 30 minutes by the simultaneous irradiation of oxygen radicals and ultraviolet radiation. It has been found that surface roughening due to choking degradation can occur with the inventive apparatus.

  As described above, with the apparatus of the present invention, an accelerated deterioration test having a much higher correlation with outdoor natural exposure can be performed in a significantly shorter time than the apparatus according to the conventional method.

It is a schematic diagram of an apparatus showing an example of an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram of the apparatus which shows another example of the embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the remote plasma source used by this invention. It is a schematic diagram of the apparatus which shows another example of the embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the emission-spectral-analysis result of the remote plasma used by this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the spectral distribution of the lamp light source used by this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Weather resistance test apparatus 2, 2A, 2B ... Remote plasma source 3, 3A, 3B, 3C ... Light source 4 ... Substrate to be tested 5 ... Sample stand 6 ... Temperature measuring means 7 ... Temperature control mechanism 8 ... Introduced gas 10 ... Test chamber 11 ... Radical radiant flux 12 ... Ultraviolet radiant flux 20 ... Plasma 21 ... Discharge chamber 30 ... Cylindrical dielectric 31 ... Inductive coil 32 ... Metal cover 33 ... Orifice plate 40 ... Optical window 50 ... Illuminance meter 70 ... Radiation thermometer

Claims (6)

In a weather resistance test apparatus having a test chamber configured to be evacuated and maintained at a pressure below atmospheric pressure, the test chamber includes a remote plasma source that generates atomic or molecular radical radiant flux, and an ultraviolet radiant flux. A weathering test apparatus comprising: a light source to be generated; and a substrate to be tested arranged in the inside of the test chamber arranged at a position where the radical radiant flux and the ultraviolet radiant flux can be irradiated simultaneously. The weather resistance test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet radiant flux includes ultraviolet rays having a wavelength region of 400 nm or less. The weather resistance according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the distance between the substrate to be tested and the remote plasma source disposed in the test chamber and the distance between the substrate to be tested and the light source are each within 15 cm. Test equipment. 4. The weather resistance test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the source gas supplied to the remote plasma source is either oxygen or water vapor alone or a mixed gas thereof. The sample stage on which the substrate to be tested is placed comprises a temperature measuring means and a temperature adjusting mechanism, and the temperature of the substrate to be tested is maintained within a range of 10 ° C to 70 ° C. Item 5. The weather resistance test apparatus according to any one of Items 1 to 4. The weather resistance test apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising an illuminometer for measuring an ultraviolet radiant flux from the light source.

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