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Degradation processes driven by UV exposure, and manifested for example as polymer gloss loss or coating failure, are generally accelerated at elevated temperature, or conversely, their rates are reduced at lower temperature. In a weathering environment comprising IR irradiance, IR transmitting black resin tends to be cooler than an otherwise comparable sample of IR absorbing black resin. Accordingly, slower UV-driven degradation, and longer weathering lifetime, is expected for IR transmitting black resin relative to IR absorbing black resin, commensurate with their temperature difference in a given weathering environment and the sensitivity of the degradation process to temperature.

Coated polycarbonate (PC) is a leading engineering thermoplastic used in automotive glazing for replacing laminated glass. Mechanical properties of multi-layer coating systems were investigated using a nano-indenter and the fracture behavior of coating during nano-scratch was studied employing scanning electron and atomic force microscopy. A set of coated samples was prepared, with two layers, namely Layer-1 and Layer-2. Layer-1 was applied directly to the PC substrate and used as adhesion promoter. Layer-2 was prepared with different mechanical properties. Abrasion performance of the coated system was characterized using an ASTM abrasion test methodology. Regression analysis was performed to establish correlation between the mechanical properties of the coating system and its abrasion performance. Fracture behavior of the coating systems and their plausible relationship with abrasion performance was also discussed.