Deterioration acceleration device

Abstract

A deterioration acceleration device according to the present invention for accelerating combined deterioration of a polymer material comprises: a test object jig 18 that holds a test object made of the polymer material and that is capable of bending; a rotary table 16 that rotates the test object jig around a light source; and a bending mechanism 16, 17, 18, 19 that bends the test object jig when the test object jig reaches one or more prescribed positions.

Description

Deterioration accelerating device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a degradation acceleration device.

[0002] Polymer materials are more susceptible to deterioration and have lower durability than inorganic compounds such as metals, ceramics, and glass. The deterioration of polymer materials is influenced by three factors: "environmental conditions" such as ultraviolet light, heat, water, and chemicals; "mechanical conditions" such as tension, compression, bending, and impact; and "special conditions" such as electrical action (Non-Patent Document 1).

[0003] The degradation of polymer materials under these individual conditions has been studied for a long time. For example, Non-Patent Document 2 discloses degradation behavior due to light and heat, Non-Patent Document 3 discloses degradation behavior due to infrared rays, and Non-Patent Document 4 discloses degradation behavior due to bending stress.

[0004] Oishi, "Degradation Analysis, Durability Evaluation, and Life Prediction for Supporting the Reliability of Polymer Materials," Polymers, Vol. 48, November 1999, pp. 838-841. Miwa, et al., "Comparison of Degradation Behavior of Low-Density Polyethylene Using a Weathering Tester," Materials and Environment, Vol. 64, 2015, pp. 139-144. "Method for Determining Exposure Environments for Weathering Resistance of Plastics Using Polyethylene Reference Test Pieces (Revised April 1, 2009)," Japan Weathering Test Center, JWTCS4002:2009. Yokoi, et al., "Improvement of Hinge Characteristics by In-Mold Press-In Hinge Molding," Production Research, Vol. 393, No. 42, June 1990, pp. 97-100. "Environmental Stress Cracking of Plastics," Osaka Industrial Technology Research Institute, Technical Sheet, No. 98037.

[0005] On the other hand, there are few reports on the degradation of polymeric materials under multiple conditions, except for Non-Patent Document 5, which deals with environmental stress cracking of plastics. In particular, there are no reports of combined degradation of polymeric materials by applying environmental degradation factors and bending stress.

[0006] Currently, when accelerating the deterioration that occurs under these conditions, it is necessary to change the polymer material between the weather resistance test devices prepared for each condition, which is inefficient.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a technology that can efficiently promote the complex degradation of polymer materials.

[0008] One aspect of the degradation acceleration device disclosed herein is a degradation acceleration device that accelerates the complex degradation of a polymeric material, and includes a refractable test specimen jig that holds a polymeric material test specimen, a turntable that revolves the test specimen jig around a light source center, and a refraction mechanism that refracts the test specimen jig when the test specimen jig reaches one or more predetermined positions.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, a technique can be provided that can efficiently promote the complex degradation of polymer materials.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a degradation acceleration device. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA' in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a test specimen jig. FIG. 4 is a side view of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a bottom view of FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the attachment of a test specimen and a test specimen jig. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the bending state of the test specimen. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control device. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of a degradation acceleration device. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of a degradation acceleration device. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a control device.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0012] The present disclosure discloses a technique for accelerating the composite degradation of a polymer material. Specifically, the composite degradation of the polymer material is accelerated by applying environmental degradation factors, including sunlight-simulating light, and repeated bending stress to the polymer material, and the state of degradation of the polymer material is measured by image analysis and infrared spectroscopic analysis.

[0013] The bending mechanism that applies the bending stress uses a pin rack fixed to the device and a gear on the polymer material that revolves around the light source, meshing with each other and utilizing the force that rotates the gear. This allows the polymer material to be bent easily and efficiently, and makes it easy to evaluate the resistance of the polymer material to combined degradation caused by light and bending. For example, by evaluating how the rate of degradation varies depending on the bending angle and using the polymer material within a bending angle range where degradation progresses least, it is possible to ensure long-term stable use of the polymer material.

[0014] That is, in an apparatus for promoting the complex deterioration of a polymeric material, a light source device exposes the polymeric material to environmental deterioration factors including light, gears such as pin racks and gears apply repeated bending stress to the polymeric material, a control device measures the state of deterioration of the polymeric material based on image information of the polymeric material, and the control device and infrared spectroscopic analyzer measure the state of deterioration of the polymeric material based on the results of infrared spectroscopic analysis of the polymeric material.

[0015] [Configuration of Degradation Acceleration Device] The degradation acceleration device according to this embodiment is a device for accelerating the complex degradation of polymeric materials. Polymeric materials are plastic materials that are flexible enough to be bent and are expected to be degraded by ultraviolet light. Examples of polymeric materials include polyethylene and polypropylene.

[0016] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an accelerated degradation device according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the interior of an accelerated degradation test chamber as seen from the direction A-A' shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 2 simply shows the state in which a pin rack 17 on the device side and a gear 19 on the polymer material specimen side are meshed. The accelerated degradation device comprises an accelerated degradation test chamber 1, a control device 2, and an infrared spectroscopic analyzer 3.

[0017] [Configuration of accelerated deterioration test chamber 1] The accelerated deterioration test chamber 1 includes additional sections (light source 31, temperature regulator 32, humidity regulator 33) that apply environmental deterioration factors, including light simulating sunlight, to a polymer material test specimen 100, mechanical sections (rotation mechanism 51, refraction mechanisms 16, 17, 19) that apply repeated bending stresses and the like to the test specimen 100, and an observation section (imaging section 71, measurement section 72) that observes the deterioration progression state of the test specimen 100.

[0018] The accelerated aging test chamber 1 has a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape and a sealed internal structure. Legs 4 are provided at the bottom of the accelerated aging test chamber 1. The accelerated aging test chamber 1 is supported by the legs 4 and placed on a flat floor.

[0019] A support 13 is installed inside the accelerated deterioration test chamber 1, connecting the center of the top plate 11 with the center of the bottom plate 12. An upper rotating disk 14 is connected to the top of the support 13, a lower rotating disk 15 is connected to the bottom, and a fixed disk 16 is connected slightly lower between them. A light source 31 is installed on the support 13 in a position between the upper rotating disk 14 and the lower rotating disk 15.

[0020] The light source 31 irradiates light simulating sunlight in the surrounding area (in a 360° radial direction). That is, the light source 31 is installed at the center of each of the disks 14, 15, and 16, and irradiates light onto the multiple test specimens 100. The light source 31 irradiates light including light in the ultraviolet range onto the test specimens 100 present in the surrounding area. The light source 31 may also irradiate light in the visible range or infrared range.

[0021] The light source 31 is, for example, an ultraviolet fluorescent lamp, a xenon lamp, a sunshine carbon lamp, or a metal halide lamp. The light source 31 may be a combination of such a lamp and a filter that makes the spectral radiation distribution of the emitted light closer to that of sunlight. The light source 31 may be one that performs tests in accordance with "ISO 11341," "JIS K 5600-7-7," "JIS K 7350-2," etc.

[0022] A temperature regulator 32 is provided on the inner side of the accelerated deterioration test chamber 1 to maintain the interior of the accelerated deterioration test chamber 1 at a predetermined temperature. A humidity regulator 33 is provided on the top surface of the upper rotating disk 14 to maintain the interior of the accelerated deterioration test chamber 1 at a predetermined humidity.

[0023] The support column 13 can be rotated around a part of its longitudinal direction as a rotation axis by the rotation mechanism 51. That is, by controlling the rotation mechanism 51, the upper rotating disk 14 and the lower rotating disk 15 can be rotated around the support column 13 as a central axis.

[0024] The rotation mechanism 51 is equipped with, for example, a stepping motor, and can rotate the upper rotating disk 14 and the lower rotating disk 15 and stop them at a predetermined angle. By rotating each of the disks 14, 15, the rotation mechanism 51 controls the positioning of the multiple test specimens 100 in turn within the imaging range and measurement position of the imaging unit 71 and the measuring unit 72. The rotation speed of each of the disks 14, 15 (the time required for the test specimen 100 to make one rotation) can be set arbitrarily.

[0025] The remaining longitudinal portion of the support 13 does not rotate. A fixed disk 16 is connected to the longitudinal side of this non-rotating support 13. In other words, the upper rotating disk 14 and the lower rotating disk 15 are rotating disks, but the fixed disk 16 is a non-rotating disk. Pin racks 17 are attached to the edge of the fixed disk 16 at one or more locations. The pin rack 17 is a tooth with an R-shape that follows the circular shape of the edge of the fixed disk 16.

[0026] A bendable test specimen jig 18 for holding the test specimen 100 is attached to the upper surface of the lower rotating disk 15. As shown in Fig. 2, the multiple test specimens 100 are erected at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the lower rotating disk 15. In other words, the lower rotating disk 15 revolves the multiple test specimens 100 and the test specimen jig 18 around the light source 31.

[0027] A gear 19 is attached to the test specimen jig 18 that grips the test specimen 100. When the test specimen jig 18 reaches a predetermined position (which may be one or more positions), the gear 19 of the test specimen jig 18 and the pin rack 17 of the fixed disk 16 mesh with each other, causing the test specimen 100 to bend.

[0028] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the test specimen 100 and the test specimen jig 18. Fig. 4 is a side view of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a bottom view of Fig. 3. The strip-shaped test specimen 100 is inserted between an upper fixture 20 and a lower fixture 21. The lower fixture 21 is composed of a pair of lower fixtures 21a and 21b, which are formed by cutting a single stainless steel plate into two pieces and placing them at a distance from each other, for example.

[0029] The test specimen 100 is placed so that its bending point is located in the spaced apart portion, and is fixed by fasteners 22 pressing the upper fixture 20 and the lower fixture 21 from the front and rear. Springs 23 are attached to the front and back surfaces of the lower fixture 21 so as to cross the spaced apart portion. The springs 23 have the function of constantly maintaining the angle between the pair of lower fixtures 21a, 21b, i.e., the bending angle of the test specimen 100, at 0°.

[0030] Two gears 19 are attached to the lower fixture 21a of the pair of lower fixtures 21a, 21b by shaft members 24 attached to the upper and lower sides, respectively. The attachment positions of the gears 19 can be adjusted as desired by adjusting the length of the shaft members 24, etc.

[0031] 6 is a diagram showing the state in which the test specimen 100 and test specimen jig 18 are attached to the sample holder 25 fixed to the upper surface of the lower rotating disk 15. The lower fixing fixture 21b, to which the gear 19 is not attached, is housed in the sample holder 25. As a result, the lower fixing fixture 21b is in a fixed state, and the lower fixing fixture 21a is in a state in which it can bend relative to the lower fixing fixture 21b.

[0032] 7 is a diagram showing the refraction state of the test specimen 100 revolving around the light source 31. When the test specimen jig 18 reaches a predetermined position (which may be one or more positions), the gear 19 on the test specimen side engages with the pin rack 17 on the device side, and the force that rotates the gear 19 is used to gradually bend the test specimen 100. When the gear 19 finishes engaging, the force of the spring 23 causes the bent test specimen 100 to return to its original angle.

[0033] While repeating this process, the test piece 100 continues to revolve around the light source 31. When the gear 19 is not engaged, the light is irradiated onto the test piece 100 that is not bent. When the gear 19 is engaged, the light is irradiated onto the bent test piece 100.

[0034] The bending angle of the test specimen 100 can be adjusted by the size, diameter, length, shape, number of teeth, etc. of the gear 19 on the device side and the pin rack 17 on the test specimen side. For example, it can be bent to 30°, 60°, 90°, 120°, or 180°.

[0035] The revolution speed of the test specimen 100 (the time it takes for the test specimen 100 to make one revolution around the light source 31) can be set arbitrarily. For example, if it is set to make one revolution in 15 minutes, the gear 19 on the device side and the pin rack 17 on the test specimen side will mesh with each other every 15 minutes, causing the test specimen 100 to bend.

[0036] The pin rack 17 can be attached not only to one location but also to multiple locations on the edge of the fixed disk 16. This allows the number of times the test specimen 100 is bent each time it makes one revolution around the light source 31 to be set arbitrarily.

[0037] 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of the control device 2. The control device 2 includes a control unit 91, a processing unit 92, a display unit 93, and a storage unit 94.

[0038] The control unit 91 has a function of controlling the on / off and illuminance of the light source 31 .

[0039] The control unit 91 has a function of controlling the temperature regulator 32 to keep the temperature inside the accelerated deterioration test chamber 1 at a predetermined temperature.

[0040] The control unit 91 has a function of controlling the humidity regulator 33 to keep the humidity in the accelerated deterioration test chamber 1 at a predetermined humidity.

[0041] The control unit 91 has a function of controlling the rotation mechanism 51 to rotate the support 13 and the upper and lower rotating disks 14 and 15 .

[0042] The processing unit 92 has a function of capturing an image of the test piece 100 by controlling the imaging unit 71 .

[0043] The processing unit 92 has a function of measuring the deterioration progression state of the test specimen 100 (such as the thickness of the test specimen 100 and the depth of cracks) based on image information of the test specimen 100. The processing unit 92 has a function of controlling the progression process of the accelerated deterioration test of the test specimen 100 based on the measurement results of the deterioration progression state of the test specimen 100.

[0044] The processing unit 92 has a function of acquiring infrared spectroscopic analysis information of the test piece 100 from the infrared spectroscopic analysis device 3. The processing unit 92 has a function of measuring the deterioration progression state of the test piece 100 based on the infrared spectroscopic information of the test piece 100. The processing unit 92 has a function of controlling the progression process of the deterioration promotion of the test piece 100 based on the measurement results of the deterioration progression state of the test piece 100.

[0045] The display unit 93 has the function of displaying the captured image of the test piece 100, infrared spectroscopic analysis information of the test piece 100, and various measurement values ​​such as the thickness of the test piece 100 and the depth of cracks.

[0046] The memory unit 94 has a function of storing captured images of the test piece 100 and various measurement values ​​such as the thickness of the test piece 100 and the depth of cracks.

[0047] [Overall Operation of the Accelerated Deterioration Device] Next, the overall operation of the accelerated deterioration device will be described. Note that the weather resistance test conditions and bending conditions can be specified depending on the purpose, and various patterns are possible, so the various setting values ​​etc. are not limited to those described below.

[0048] First, the control device 2 controls the light source 31, the temperature regulator 32, and the humidity regulator 33 to carry out a weather resistance test on the polymer material specimen 100 for A hours under preset conditions.

[0049] For example, the weather resistance test settings are in accordance with "JIS K 5600-7-7" and "JIS K 7350-2," with the black panel temperature set at 63°C, the temperature inside the chamber set at 38°C, and the humidity set at 50% RH. The water spray time is set at 18 minutes within a 2-hour period. The ultraviolet radiation intensity at wavelengths of 300 nm to 400 nm is set at 60 W / m ２ Under these conditions, the accelerated aging of the test specimen 100 is carried out for 100 hours.

[0050] At this time, each time the gear 19 on the device side and the pin rack 17 on the test piece side mesh with each other, each test piece 100 is bent by a maximum of B degrees. Each test piece 100 is bent, for example, to 30°, 60°, 90°, 120°, or 180°. The bending angle of the test piece 100 is controlled by the size, diameter, length, shape, number of teeth, etc. of the gear 19 and pin rack 17 that are preset. The pin rack 17 may be provided in multiple locations instead of one location.

[0051] The test is also carried out under a preset condition for the rotation speed of the test specimen 100. By increasing the rotation speed, the number of bending times in a certain time period increases, and conversely, by decreasing the rotation speed, the number of bending times in a certain time period decreases.

[0052] [Detailed Functions of the Imaging Unit 71 and the Control Device 2] As shown in Fig. 1, the imaging unit 71 is installed at an appropriate position inside the hollow interior of the accelerated degradation test tank 1. That is, the imaging unit 71 is installed around each of the disks 14, 15, and 16. The imaging unit 71 is, for example, an optical camera, a CCD camera, or a microscope. The imaging unit 71 is installed at a position where it can capture an image of the vicinity of the center of the test specimen 100. That is, the imaging unit 71 images the test specimen 100.

[0053] The control device 2 analyzes the captured images of the test specimens 100 and measures the thickness of each test specimen 100 and the depth of cracks occurring in each test specimen 100. The control device 2 then determines whether the crack depth of each test specimen 100 has progressed to or exceeds a threshold, and controls whether or not to apply environmental degradation factors by the light source 31, the temperature regulator 32, and the humidity regulator 33, and whether or not to apply bending stress or the like by the rotation mechanism 51, depending on the respective determination results.

[0054] In other words, the control device 2 stops the deterioration acceleration device when it determines that the crack depth of the test specimen 100 has reached a predetermined value or greater, or when the total time of the weather resistance test has reached a predetermined time or greater, and otherwise continues the deterioration acceleration test.

[0055] [Operation of the imaging unit 71 and the control device 2] Next, the operation of the deterioration acceleration device configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 9. Note that the weather resistance test conditions and bending conditions can be specified depending on the purpose. Since various patterns are possible, the various setting values ​​etc. are not limited to those listed below.

[0056] Step S101: First, the control unit 91 of the control device 2 controls the light source 31, the temperature regulator 32, the humidity regulator 33, and the rotation mechanism 51 to carry out a weather resistance test for time A under preset conditions. At this time, each time the gear 19 on the device side and the pin rack 17 on the test piece side mesh with each other, each test piece 100 is bent a maximum of B degrees. For example, each test piece 100 is bent at 30°, 60°, 90°, 120°, and 180°.

[0057] Step S102: Next, the imaging unit 71 captures an image of the bent portion of the test piece 100.

[0058] Step S103: Next, the processing unit 92 of the control device 2 analyzes the captured images of the test pieces 100 and measures the thickness of each test piece 100 and the depth of any cracks occurring in the test piece 100.

[0059] Step S104: Next, the processing unit 92 of the control device 2 determines whether or not there is a test specimen whose crack depth has reached D% (e.g., 30%) of the total thickness, based on the thickness and crack depth of each test specimen 100. If such a test specimen is present, this process ends, and if such a test specimen is not present, the process proceeds to step S105.

[0060] Step S105: Next, the processing unit 92 of the control device 2 determines whether the total time of the weather resistance test has reached a predetermined time, i.e., whether the total time of light irradiation has reached the time limit E. If the total time of the weather resistance test has reached E, the process ends, but if E has not been reached, the process returns to step S101.

[0061] [Detailed Functions of the Measuring Unit 72, Control Device 2, and Infrared Spectroscopic Analyzer 3] As shown in Fig. 1 , the measuring unit 72 is disposed inside the hollow interior of the accelerated aging test tank 1. That is, the measuring unit 72 is disposed around each of the disks 14, 15, and 16. The measuring unit 72 is attached to the infrared spectroscopic analyzer 3 via optical fibers. The measuring unit 72 is pressed against the test specimen 100 under the control of the infrared spectroscopic analyzer 3, and functions as a part for acquiring light irradiated onto the test specimen 100.

[0062] The infrared spectroscopic analyzer 3 is an apparatus that performs infrared spectroscopic analysis of the test specimen 100. For example, the infrared spectroscopic analyzer 3 is a Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer conforming to "JIS K 0117." The infrared spectroscopic analyzer 3 may be any analytical apparatus that can perform infrared spectroscopic analysis of the test specimen 100.

[0063] During measurement, the infrared spectroscopic analyzer 3 presses the measuring unit 72 against the test piece 100, measures the absorbance of the carbonyl group and methylene group absorbed by the test piece 100 via an optical fiber, and outputs the measured values ​​of each absorbance to the control device 2.

[0064] The control device 2 calculates the carbonyl index value (= the ratio of the absorbance of the carbonyl group to the absorbance of the methylene group) of the test specimen 100 based on the acquired absorbances of the carbonyl group and methylene group of the test specimen 100, and measures the state of deterioration of the test specimen 100 based on the calculated carbonyl index value. Note that the carbonyl group and the methylene group are examples of observed data. Any data can be used as long as it is capable of measuring the state of deterioration of the test specimen 100.

[0065] As described above, it is determined whether the carbonyl index value of the test specimen 100 has increased above a threshold value, and depending on the respective determination results, it controls whether or not environmental degradation factors are applied by the light source 31, temperature regulator 32, and humidity regulator 33, and whether or not bending stress, etc. is applied by the rotation mechanism 51.

[0066] That is, when it is determined that the carbonyl index value of the test specimen is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, or when the total time of the weather resistance test is equal to or greater than a predetermined time, the accelerated deterioration device is stopped; otherwise, the accelerated deterioration test is continued.

[0067] [Operations of the measurement unit 72, control device 2, and infrared spectroscopic analyzer 3] Next, the operation of the acceleration degradation device according to this embodiment configured as described above will be described with reference to the operation diagram shown in the flowchart in Figure 10. Note that weather resistance test conditions and bending conditions can be specified depending on the purpose. Since various patterns are possible, the various setting values ​​etc. are not limited to those listed below.

[0068] Step S201: The infrared spectrometer 3 performs infrared spectroscopic analysis of the test specimen 100. Specifically, the infrared spectrometer 3 presses the measuring unit 72 against the test specimen 100 and measures the absorbance of each of the carbonyl groups and methylene groups absorbed by the test specimen 100. The rotating mechanism 51 of the accelerated degradation test tank 1 moves each test specimen 100 sequentially to the measuring unit 72, and the infrared spectrometer 3 measures the absorbance of each of the remaining test specimens 100.

[0069] Step S202: Next, the processing unit 92 of the control device 2 calculates the initial value of the carbonyl index value of each test specimen 100 using formula (1) based on the measured absorbance of the carbonyl group and methylene group of each test specimen.

[0070] CI = A / B (1) CI is the carbonyl index value. A is 1715 cm －１ The absorbance of the carbonyl group in the vicinity (= I - I ０ ) B is 2020 cm －１ The absorbance of the methylene group in the vicinity (= I - I ０ ) where I is the absorbance at each wavenumber. I ０ is the baseline absorbance at each wavenumber according to the baseline method. The absorption position may vary depending on the state of the test specimen 100 and the measurement conditions, so the formula for calculating the carbonyl index value is not limited to formula (1).

[0071] Step S203: Next, the control unit 91 of the control device 2 controls the light source 31, the temperature regulator 32, and the humidity regulator 33 to carry out a weather resistance test for A hours under preset conditions. For example, the weather resistance test is set in accordance with "JIS K 5600-7-7" and "JIS K 7350-2," with a black panel temperature of 63°C, a temperature inside the chamber of 38°C, and a humidity of 50% RH. The water spray time is 18 minutes within 2 hours. The ultraviolet radiation intensity at wavelengths of 300 nm to 400 nm is 60 W / m ２ Under these conditions, accelerated aging of the test specimen is carried out for 100 hours. The rotation speed is also set under predetermined conditions.

[0072] At this time, the pin rack 17 on the device side is retracted to a position where it does not mesh with the gear 19 on the test piece side. For example, the pin rack 17 may be removed from the fixed disk 16, or the pin rack 17 may be moved manually or automatically inward to a position where it cannot come into contact with the gear 19.

[0073] Step S204: Next, the infrared spectroscopic analyzer 3 performs infrared spectroscopic analysis again on the test specimens 100. Specifically, the infrared spectroscopic analyzer 3 remeasures the absorbance of the carbonyl group and the methylene group of each test specimen.

[0074] Step S205: Next, the processing unit 92 of the control device 2 recalculates the carbonyl index value of each test specimen after the weather resistance test has been carried out for A hours, based on the remeasured absorbances of the carbonyl group and methylene group.

[0075] Step S206: Next, the processing unit 92 of the control device 2 calculates, for each test specimen 100, the percentage increase in the carbonyl index value after the weather resistance test relative to the carbonyl index value before the weather resistance test, and determines whether there is any test specimen whose carbonyl index value has increased by more than C % (e.g., 0.1%) preset by the user.

[0076] Step S207: If there is no test specimen whose carbonyl index value has increased by C % or more, the processing unit 92 of the control device 2 determines whether the total time of the weather resistance test has exceeded a specified D time (e.g., 3000 hours). If the total time of the weather resistance test has not exceeded D time, the process returns to step S203. If the total time of the weather resistance test has exceeded D time, all processing is terminated.

[0077] Step S208: If the determination result in step S206 is that there is a test specimen whose carbonyl index value has increased by C% or more, the processing unit 92 of the control device 2 calculates the time (E time) required for the carbonyl index value to increase by C% or more.

[0078] Step S209: Next, the user moves the pin rack 17 on the device side to a position where it meshes with the gear 19 on the specimen side. At this time, the control unit 91 of the control device 2 may move the position of the pin rack 17 using a movement mechanism that can control the movement of the position of the pin rack 17.

[0079] Step S210: Next, the control device 2 performs a weather resistance test at a rotation speed such that the test specimen 100 completes one rotation in time E. At this time, each time the gear 19 on the device side and the pin rack 17 on the test specimen side mesh with each other, each test specimen 100 is bent by a maximum of B degrees. The bending angle of the test specimen 100 is controlled by the size and number of teeth that are set in advance. For example, each test specimen 100 is bent at 30°, 60°, 90°, 120°, and 180°.

[0080] Step S211: Finally, the control device 2 determines whether the number of rotations (revolutions) of the test specimen 100 after step S210 has exceeded F (for example, 20). For example, if the device has one pin rack 17, it determines whether the number of times the test specimen 100 has been bent by engaging with the one pin rack 17 has exceeded 20. If the number of rotations has exceeded F, this process ends; if the number of rotations has not exceeded F, the process returns to step S210.

[0081] [Effects] In this embodiment, the degradation acceleration device that accelerates the combined degradation of a polymer material includes a refractible test specimen jig 18 that holds a polymer material test specimen 100, a lower rotating disk 15 that revolves the test specimen jig 18 around the light source 31, and refraction mechanisms 16, 17, and 19 that refract the test specimen jig 18 when it reaches one or more predetermined positions. This makes it possible to easily and efficiently bend the polymer material, and makes it possible to easily evaluate the resistance of the polymer material to combined degradation due to light and bending.

[0082] [Other Embodiments] Alternatively, a first gear on the device side and a second gear on the polymer material side may be meshed with each other, and the force that rotates the second gear may be utilized. The first gear may be fixed to the device side, may rotate in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the second gear, or may rotate at a different rotation speed than the rotation speed of the second gear. Alternatively, a photoelectric sensor may be used to detect that the test specimen has passed a certain position, and the detection may be used as a trigger to rotate a motor to bend the test specimen.

[0083] [Others] The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and it is apparent that many modifications and combinations can be made by a person having ordinary skill in the art within the technical spirit of the present disclosure.

[0084] The control device 2 of the present embodiment described above can be realized, for example, by using a general-purpose computer system including a CPU 901, a memory 902, a storage 903, a communication device 904, an input device 905, and an output device 906, as shown in Fig. 11. The memory 902 and the storage 903 are storage devices. In this computer system, the CPU 901 executes a predetermined program loaded onto the memory 902, thereby realizing each function of the control device 2.

[0085] The control device 2 may be implemented by one computer, or by multiple computers, or may be a virtual machine implemented in a computer.

[0086] The program for the control device 2 can be stored in a computer-readable recording medium such as a HDD, an SSD, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory, a Compact Disc (CD), or a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD). The computer-readable recording medium is, for example, a non-transitory recording medium. The program for the control device 2 can also be distributed via a communication network.

[0087] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Accelerated deterioration test chamber 2 Control device 3 Infrared spectroscopic analyzer 4 Leg 11 Top plate 12 Bottom plate 13 Support 14 Upper rotating disk (rotating disk) 15 Lower rotating disk (rotating disk) 16 Fixed disk (non-rotating disk, bending mechanism) 17 Pin rack (bending mechanism) 18 Test specimen jig 19 Gear (bending mechanism) 20 Upper fixing device 21 Lower fixing device 22 Fastener 23 Spring 24 Shaft member 25 Sample holder 31 Light source 32 Temperature regulator 33 Humidity regulator 51 Rotation mechanism 71 Imaging unit 72 Measuring unit 91 Control unit 92 Processing unit 93 Display unit 94 Memory unit 100 Polymer material test specimen 901 CPU 902 Memory 903 Storage 904 Communication device 905 Input device 906 Output device

Claims

1. A degradation acceleration device for accelerating the complex degradation of a polymeric material, comprising: a bendable test specimen jig for holding a polymeric material test specimen; a turntable for revolving said test specimen jig around a light source; and a refraction mechanism for refraction of said test specimen jig when said test specimen jig reaches one or more predetermined positions.

2. The deterioration acceleration device described in claim 1, wherein the bending mechanism comprises a first gear and a second gear provided on the test specimen jig, and when the test specimen jig reaches one or more predetermined positions, the first gear and the second gear mesh with each other, and the force rotating the second gear is utilized to bend the test specimen jig.

3. The deterioration acceleration device described in claim 1, wherein the bending mechanism comprises a non-rotating plate, a pin rack provided on the non-rotating plate, and a gear provided on the test specimen jig, and when the test specimen jig reaches one or more predetermined positions, the pin rack and the gear mesh with each other, and the force rotating the gear is utilized to bend the test specimen jig.

4. The deterioration acceleration device according to claim 1, further comprising a control device which measures the deterioration progression state of the test specimen based on image information of the test specimen, and controls the progress of the deterioration acceleration test of the test specimen based on the measurement results of the deterioration progression state of the test specimen.

5. The deterioration acceleration device according to claim 1, further comprising a control device which measures the deterioration progression state of the test specimen based on infrared spectroscopic information of the test specimen, and controls the progress of the accelerated deterioration test of the test specimen based on the measurement results of the deterioration progression state of the test specimen.