OCCA General Meeting - 9 May 2011

The Oil and Colour Chemists' Association (OCCA) was founded in 1918; incorporating the Paint and Varnish Society since 1924. Members meet each week to share new developments in their field as well as to discuss on-going research and new techniques being used.

In May 2011 OCCA played host to the General Manager for Q-Lab Europe, Jim Regan. Apollo Scientific sponsored the evening, which took place at the Tafelberg Tavern at the Roodehek Terrace.

Mr. Regan's presentation focused on the various aspects of weathering and making the right choices when choosing a method for accelerated weathering testing. He highlighted the damage caused by weathering and light exposure to coatings, plastics, adhesives, sealants, and other organic materials and the extent to which accelerated weathering and light stability testers can be used by manufacturers for research, product development and quality control. As discussed, the most frequently used accelerated weathering testers are fluorescent UV accelerated weathering tester (ISO 4892-3) and the xenon arc test chamber (ISO 4892-2). Jim then compared these two testers, distinguishing strengths and limitations of both methods and concluding that neither is more or less suitable as their usage depends on the user and the product and results that are required.

The evening was a great success, with networking and socialising opportunities found after the presentation.

Apollo would like to thank OCCA for having us and arranging the meeting. We would also like to thank all those who attended and showed their support and appreciation for the industry. A big thank you to Jim Regan for his time and for sharing his expertise in the weathering field.