VDI 3958 Blatt 13:2014-08

Subject of the standard is the test of resistance of paint coatings, which are supposed to be used in an environment with humid-subtropical or tropical climate (tropicalisation). Those paint coatings are regarded whose function and service life depends primarily on the retention of the demanded properties of their surfaces and areas close to the surface. The standard is concerned, for example, with high-gloss paint coatings as used particularly in the automotive industry. Here, the reduction in or even the loss of the desired decorative visual properties can result in the failure of the product concerned (high loss of value). The standard describes both the testing of tropicalisation under natural environmental conditions (natural weathering) and the tropicalisation test in weathering devices (artificial weathering), in which the specific environmental situation is simulated. It is targeted at the manufacturers and users of paint coatings for outdoor use and the operators of weathering stations and test laboratories.