Accelerated Aging of Thermoplastic Polyolefin Membranes—Prediction of Actual Performance

Over the past several years, there has been significant debate within the single-ply roofing industry as to how best to predict membrane service life. This paper discusses the general issues of prediction of performance that are not presently known. This is contrasted with the correlation of test data with actual observed performance. The various stressors of thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) are discussed along with the background of some of the more commonly used accelerated aging tests. Finally, service life predictions are shown, using data from a range of accelerated aging tests.