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P1 Chamber Insulating Glass Durability TestingIn the late 1970s the insulating glass (IG) industry contemplated two accelerated weathering test procedures for evaluating the seal integrity of insulation glass units. These options became known as Preliminary Methods 1 and 2 (P1 and P2). The industry, including representatives of ASTM and SIGMA (Sealed Insulating Glass Manufacturers Association), the forerunner to the IGMA (Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance), elected to utilize the P2 method which ultimately became ASTM E 773 and E 774, the predecessor to the now current ASTM E 2190 test sometimes known as the HIGS (Harmonization of Insulating Glass Standards) procedure, a requirement for the NFRC 706 Product Certi�cation Program.
The P1 methodology may have passed into obscurity were it not for the fact that several insulating glass industry manufacturers had P1 chambers and continued to utilize them for internal research, development and quality control purposes. Since a formal ASTM procedure has never been published for the P1 Chamber Test, the methods of testing used by manufacturers evolved to a constant temperature of 140° F, constant ultraviolet light source and constant water spray exposure. A representative IG seal durability performance comparison test using a P1 Chamber is shown below in Table 1. In this example, the P1 Chamber test methods utilized the constant 140° F temperature, UV and water spray referenced above.
November 2013
Industry experts consider one week of P1 testing to be the equivalent of approximately one year in the �eld. In more recent testing, manufacturers are �nding that some dual seal IG units are passing over 60 weeks of exposure in the P1 chamber, and some units are surpassing 125 weeks of exposure.
With increased interest in insulating glass unit comparative testing, research and development and marketing advantage, Architectural Testing has taken the opportunity to add a P1 Chamber to increase the menu of services to the insulating glass industry. The P1 Chamber can simulate long-term exposure to extreme weather variations to estimate longevity in real-world usage. Manufacturers of spacer system components and insulating glass fabricators that want to use the P1 Chamber to evaluate system performance can send standard E 2190 size (14" by 20") or customize size samples to us immediately.
Relative IG Seal Durability as Tested in P1 Chamber
1 Larsen, Jim, “Can Argon Gas-Filled Units Be Sealed with Silicone?” Glass Magazine 1989
Edge Seal Longevity Mode of Failure
Single Seal: PIB 1 Day Adhesion Bond Loss
Single Seal: 6-8 Weeks Adhesion Bond LossPolysul�de,Polyurethane
Dual Seal: 12-15 Weeks Adhesion Bond LossPIB/Polysul�dePIB/Polyurethane
Dual Seal: 15-20 Weeks Frost Point FailPIB/Silicone withKeyed Corners
Dual Seal: 40+ Weeks Frost Point FailPIB/Silicone withBent Corners
Opposite: IG Samples waiting to be tested at Architectural Testing’s York, PA Laboratory.
November 2013
Case StudiesIG manufacturers evaluate many components, surfaces, sealant formulations and methods of construction in order to produce IG units with the most reliable durability and highest performance. An example of a typical evaluation that utilizes the P1 Chamber is an IG manufacturer testing several formulations of sealant in combination with various spacers. In this example, several replicates of each variant IG unit are put into the P1 Chamber. During the accelerated aging and exposure process ATI tests for performance standards, such as volatile fog and seal durability. The data allows the manufacturer to quickly determine the best performing combination of sealant formula and spacer technology.
SummaryAlthough P1 methods have evolved over time, the need for this type of durability testing remains a must for IG manufacturers. Realizing this, and constantly striving to provide the most comprehensive testing in the marketplace, ATI decided to add P1 chamber capacity. Architectural Testing is not new to the Insulating Glass industry, as they test more than 1,700 insulating glass units per year at their laboratories located in Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Texas, Washington and California. For additional information on insulating glass services, click here, and for a recent ATI Webinar on performance trends in insulating glass units, click here.
717.764.7700 . [email protected] . www.archtest.com
Dan Johnson is responsible for laboratory operations of ATI’s Minnesota Laboratory. He has 25 years of experience in laboratory and �eld testing of fenestration products. Mr. Johnson has conducted numerous failure investigations involving water penetration through exterior building facades and is a member of WDMA, the Construction Speci�cations Institute (CSI), Minneapolis - St. Paul Chapter, and serves as a SDI Technical Liaison. A graduate of St. Cloud University, he holds a degree in Engineering Technology.
About The Author Dan Johnson - Director - Regional Operations, Architectural Testing
About ATIFounded in 1975, Architectural Testing, Inc. (ATI) is a leading ISO/IEC 17025 accredited building products testing laboratory providing more than 2000 de�ned test protocols at one or more of its �fteen full-service laboratories. Architectural Testing o�ers a Complete Solution for evaluation, testing and certi�cation.
