Environmental tests performed in advanced laboratories are laboratory tests to determine how much the materials used in production or the finished products are affected by the strong conditions of the natural environment. Environmental tests are carried out to determine how much resistance the products and materials will be exposed to the environmental conditions they will be exposed to during their life cycle, in use, transport and storage conditions. The main tests performed for this purpose are moisture test, high temperature test, low temperature test, temperature shock test, low pressure (altitude) test, rain test and salt mist test. Sand and powder tests are also carried out.
Critical properties of the products and the materials used in production, such as accuracy, durability, stability and reliability, are important factors determining the quality of these products. Environmental tests are carried out in order to determine the disadvantages that consumers may face in a timely manner and thus to save labor, time and money on costs, warranty conditions and other expenses.
Environmental tests are mainly performed in climatic, mechanical and combined tests. The main standard on this issue is the MIL-STD-810 standards. These standards are standards designed by the US Department of Defense for military purposes. However, these standards are also used for commercial applications. These standards, which include environmental engineering issues and laboratory tests, determine the environmental design and testing limits of a material to adapt and test the conditions to be met during the service life.
The highly standard designed MIL-STD-810G standard Method 510.5 includes sand and dust tests. The purpose of this standard is determined as follows:
- Dust tests: These tests are for 150 μm sizes and smaller particles. It is particularly important to determine the ability of a product or material to counteract the effects of dust that can penetrate openings, cracks, crevices, bearings and joints, in particular to assess the effectiveness of the filters.
- Sand tests: These tests are for particles whose dimensions are between 150 and 850 μm. A product or material is made to evaluate the ability to store and operate in sand conditions without degrading its performance, effectiveness, reliability and continuity due to the abrasion or occlusion effects of large and sharp-edged particles.
The MIL-STD-810G standard is used to evaluate any mechanical, optical, electrical, electronic, electrochemical and electromechanical devices that are likely to be exposed to sand or dust-laden air environments.
To understand whether this method is suitable for the product or material being tested, it is necessary to consider some conditions. For example, abrasion of surfaces, deterioration of electrical circuits, clogging of openings and filters, contamination of moving parts, reduction of thermal conductivity, interference with optical properties, overheating and fire hazard due to limited ventilation or cooling, increased friction between the mating surfaces and static and dynamic balance.
The STN-810G standard 510.5 method includes two test procedures:
- Procedure I Blowing powder
- Procedure II Blowing sand
When choosing one of these procedures, you should consider:
- Use of the material
- Natural exposure conditions
- Whether the material is suitable for its intended use
- Processing order
If both sand tests and dust tests are to be carried out at the same time, less damage to the material should be done beforehand. That is, dust tests and sand tests should be followed.
Our company also provides sand and powder testing services within the scope of other testing services. Thanks to these services, enterprises are able to produce safe, fast and uninterrupted, more efficient, high performance and high quality.
Sand and powder testing services provided within the scope of other testing services are just one of the services provided by our organization in this direction. Apart from that, many other different testing services are provided.