Fungus Testing

NTS provides microbiological expertise to perform every type of fungus test on your materials, subassemblies or equipment

Products operating in warm, humid environments must be tested to withstand fungus attacks since this problem can cause a myriad of failures. To a greater or lesser degree, growing fungus will use wood, paper, leather, hydrocarbons, PVC, polyurethanes, certain plastics, certain paints and other materials as fuel. Live fungus can get under protective covers and mar the appearance or degrade optical capabilities of your product. Metabolic waste products from fungus cause corrosion. Electrical systems can develop undesirable conducting paths, fungus can block delicate moving parts, or change non-wetting surfaces to wetting surfaces with resulting loss in performance.

The fungus test is an accelerated environmental test; therefore, the temperature and moisture conditions are specified to support rapid growth of fungi and accelerated deterioration of materials.

NTS examines the following conditions:

• Do the materials support fungal growth?
• How rapidly will fungus grow on the material?
• How will the fungus affect the material, its mission and performance?
• Can the material can be stored in a field environment?
• Is there a reversal process - can the fungus be removed?

Standard testing takes from 28 to 84 days, so it is imperative that the test lab has sufficient chamber space to allow new tests to begin without disturbing tests in progress. NTS devotes several sizes of chambers exclusively to fungus testing and has the capabilities to fit filter vents and controls to prevent condensation drips to additional, dormant chambers to provide excess capacity.

Precise Simulation of any Environmental Condition

At NTS we have decades of expertise to enable us to provide the precise controls required to successfully simulate the prescribed conditions for fungus testing; naturally, we are able to employ both U.S. and European fungus groups. NTS can expose your product to any of these contaminants in whatever concentrations you require and apply multiple contaminants, including ammonia and sulfur dioxide. Depending on your requirements, NTS can check the operational capability of your units either periodically or continuously during each fungus test.

NTS performs testing to all the standard specifications such as Telcordia; MIL-STD-202, 810; ASTM D 120, D 470, D 518, D 1049, G21, 22, 29; Fed. Test Method Standard No. 191; RTCA/DO-160 as well as D2020-92 (1999) Standard Test Methods for Mildew (Fungus) Resistance of Paper and Paperboard as well as any custom fungus test you may require.

If your product will see external humid and warm conditions and relies on insulation and gaskets to perform, requires maintaining good appearance, has electrical circuitry, operates optics or has delicate mechanical apparatus, let NTS test it for fungus resistance.

Contact NTS today to find out how to get your product tested!

Fungus Testing

<< Back