Monitoring the UV degradation of PVC window frames by microhardness analysis

While well‐known methods of bulk analysis of thermal degradation of PVC become standard industrial tools, techniques for the study of surface damage produced by weathering are not generally considered. In this paper we present a new test, based on microhardness measurements, which can be used as a complementary technique for the study of this phenomenon. Comparison of this method with color changes and specific elongation at break measurement has been established for PVC window frames.