Climatic Chamber Configurator
Discover the Climatic Chamber Configurator
Our guide to choosing the climate chamber best suited to your needs.
Acetone, ethanol, methanol, toluene, petroleum ether, xylene, chloroform.
For battery and accumulator testing, discover our battery testing chambers, designed for testing under controlled conditions.
What do all these substances have in common ?
Well, the ability to melt more!
The ones we have mentioned are the most widespread solvents in our society.
They are extremely useful in many fields but also have unwanted effects when they come into contact with materials they shouldn't.
To mitigate the effects of this eventuality, there is the solvent resistance test.
What is the Solvent Resistance Test for?
Scientifically, solvents are any substances capable of dissolving, dispersing, or diluting other substances, forming a homogeneous solution. Solvents are found in all states of matter, but liquids are by far the most common.
When used intentionally, solvents play crucial roles. However, precisely because of their effectiveness, we must consider all cases where contact between substances is unintentional.
The solvent resistance test is used to verify a material's ability to resist the action of different solvents.
Precisely because of the nature of solvents, almost no industry is immune from solvent resistance testing, because wherever there are materials that can be attacked, the test fulfills its function. Paints and coatings are extensively tested for solvent resistance, and this is of great importance for the automotive industry.
Less predictable, however, is the importance that solvent resistance testing plays for electronics and the military and aerospace sectors.
In fact, the electronic components in these sectors are so delicate that they are subjected to a very rigorous series of tests, including those using solvents.
The major international standards governing solvent resistance testing are ISO 2812 for paints, ASTM D5402 for organic coatings, ASTM D1308 for household chemicals, and MIL-STD-810G for military electronics.
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How Does Solvent Resistance Testing Work?
Solvent resistance testing is a laboratory test that uses various technical instruments to produce precise and reliable results.
The sample of the material to be tested is placed in an isolated and controlled environment, the solution is applied and then left to act for a predetermined time frame, according to the guidelines dictated by the above-mentioned standards.
In many of these tests, the temperature and relative humidity must be known and stable. Furthermore, some procedures involve a series of successive tests with different temperature and relative humidity parameters.
And this is where climate chambers come into play
Climatic Chambers and Solvent Resistance Tests
Product and material tests, including solvent resistance tests, must simulate as closely as possible the real-world conditions the product or material will encounter.
For this reason, solvent resistance tests are also carried out under specific environmental conditions, namely temperature and relative humidity parameters that alter the action of the solvent itself.
Climatic chambers are therefore essential as laboratory instruments in which the temperature and relative humidity parameters in order to simulate real conditions as accurately as possible.
For example, the aforementioned MIL-STD-810G requires a procedure in which one group of samples is held at a temperature of 25° and another group between 63° and 70°.
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The FDM Climatic Chamber for Solvent Resistance Testing
FDM climate chambers are able to meet all environmental requirements that come into play in solvent resistance tests.
We offer various models of climatic chambers, each with its own size and space distribution, designed to accommodate various types of samples. Furthermore, our chambers can be customized to meet the customer's needs, including the addition of solvent-resistant chamber guards.
For any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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Reference Standards
- ISO 175 — Plastics — Methods of test for the determination of the effects of immersion in liquid chemicals
- ASTM D543 — Standard Practices for Evaluating the Resistance of Plastics to Chemical Reagents
- ISO 22088 — Plastics — Determination of resistance to environmental stress cracking (ESC)
- ASTM F483 — Total Immersion Corrosion Test for Aircraft Maintenance Chemicals
- MIL-STD-810H Method 504.3 — Contamination by fluids
- ISO 16750-5 — Chemical loads automotive
Authoritative Sources
Solvent Testing Frequently Asked Questions
How do you perform a solvent resistance test?
ISO 175 standard procedure : the polymer specimen is immersed in the target solvent (or exposed by spray) for standard durations (1 hour / 24 hours / 7 days / 28 days / 12 months) at a controlled temperature (23°C, 50°C or application temperature). At the end, the following are evaluated: mass change (swelling/degradation), dimensional change , mechanical properties (tensile, modulus, elongation), and appearance (color change, cracks, opacification). Pass criterion: changes below the threshold defined for the application.
Which solvents should you test for automotive applications?
ISO 16750-5 standard panel: Petrol (UNI EN 228 Fuel A/B/C), Diesel (EN 590), engine oils (SAE 5W-30, 10W-40), hydraulic oils (ATF, DEXRON), brake fluid (DOT 3/4/5.1), coolant (ethylene glycol 50%), windshield washer (methanol-water), washing fluid, AdBlue (urea 32.5%). For electric vehicles: lithium battery electrolytes, dielectric coolants. Duration: typically 168h immersion + rinse + measurements.
What is environmental stress cracking (ESC)?
ESC(ISO 22088) is the premature cracking of polymers under the combined action of mechanical stress and chemical agents, even at stresses below the static limit. It is the most subtle failure mechanism because the exposed material without stress is compliant, and the stress without chemistry is resistant—only the combination causes fractures. Polymers at risk: HDPE, PMMA, PC, ABS. Critical applications: fuel tanks, pharmaceutical containers, PE cleaning products.
Which chambers are used for solvent testing?
Typical configurations: thermostatic baths for controlled immersion (ISO 175); climatic chambers with a separate internal chamber for vapors (explosion-proof ventilation); saturation chambers for ESC tests with applied stress in a contaminated environment. For flammable solvents (gasoline, ethanol), the chamber must be ATEX Ex II 3G with spark-proof fans and LEL detectors. Typical temperature range 23-80°C, volume 50-500 L depending on sample quantity.
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