Site-specific weathering of coatings: I. Accelerated protocol for temperate climate in Central Europe and numerical simulations

Inspired by an improved accelerated weathering protocol to anticipate Florida exposure behavior of coatings, designated as new protocol (NP),1 which is implemented in the ASTM D7869-13 standard, a weathering protocol is proposed to replicate the exposure in the temperate climate in Stuttgart (Germany). This protocol, designated as ZykStuttgart, has been developed by adapting the steps proposed by the NP to the climate in Stuttgart. Therefore, weather data from Homestead (Florida/USA) and Stuttgart has been analyzed and compared. Numerical simulations of water uptake and hygro-thermal stresses for model coatings were performed for varying cycle designs and using time-resolved outdoor weather data to support protocol development.