Mantar Testi — IEC 60068-2-10 / MIL-STD-810 Method 508 / ASTM G21

What Is Fungus / Mould?

The fungus test is one in which the sample is inoculated with defined fungal spores and incubated at high humidity and temperature to assess whether fungal growth occurs on its surface.

Purpose of Fungus / Mould

The purpose is to verify that materials and products used in tropical and humid environments resist biological deterioration and fungus-induced loss of function.

Which Products Is Fungus / Mould Applied To?

Electronic boards and coatings
Insulation materials
Optical surfaces and coatings
Textile and leather products
Defence and aviation equipment

In Which Sectors Is Fungus / Mould Used?

ElectronicsElectricalAutomotiveDefenceAerospace

Standards Related to Fungus / Mould

IEC 60068-2-10series of environmental testing methods test
MIL-STD-810 Method 508
ASTM G21
ISO 846

Fungus / Mould Conditions

mushroom species: Mixture defined in the standard (Aspergillus, Penicillium, Chaetomium, etc.)
Temperature: Defined in the standard; typically 28 – 30 °C
Relative humidity: over 90%
Incubation period: Defined in the standard; typically 28 days

Equipment for Fungus / Mould

Fungus test chamber (humidity- and temperature-controlled)
Microbiology laboratory and inoculation setup
Control samples (growth-supporting reference)
Stereo microscope

Sample Requirements for Fungus / Mould

The sample surface must be cleaned but no biocide residue left
A control sample (positive control) must be incubated alongside
The number of specimens is defined in the standard
Initial transmittance must be measured for optical surfaces

Duration of Fungus / Mould

Incubation period is typically 28 days; about one and a half months including preparation.

Fungus / Mould Procedure

1The fungal spore suspension is prepared per the standard.
2Samples and control samples are inoculated.
3The chamber is brought to the temperature and humidity conditions.
4Incubated for the defined duration.
5Growth on the control sample is verified (test validity).
6Growth on the sample surface is graded.

Fungus / Mould Acceptance Criteria

The acceptance criterion is given per the standard's grading scale; the typical criterion is growth not exceeding the defined grade and no effect on function.

Evaluation of Results

If no growth is seen on the control sample, the test is invalid. Whether growth is on the surface or within the material is distinguished; growth arising from dust accumulated on the surface does not indicate material resistance.

Fungus / Mould Report

Applied standard and fungal species
Temperature, humidity and incubation period
Control sample result
Growth grading and photographs
Functional or optical measurement results

Accreditation

EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.

Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

Scope and authorisations

Related Regulations

Defence and aviation equipment specifications
Tropical climate product requirements

Environmental and Climatic Testing — What Does This Testing Field Cover?

The section below describes the field that the Fungus / Mould test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

Environmental testing shows whether a product withstands ambient factors such as temperature, humidity, pressure, solar radiation, dust, water and corrosive atmospheres. The aim is not to break the product but to bring forward, in ACCELERATED form, the conditions it will meet over its life.

Test profiles are derived from the product's real exposure, and that derivation is the actual engineering work of the field. A device operating in an enclosed office and one mounted on a pole are not tested with the same profile. The IEC 60068 series defines general methods, MIL-STD-810 military profiles, RTCA DO-160 aviation profiles and the ISO 16750 series location-based automotive profiles. A test applied without a profile selection produces both unnecessary cost and false confidence.

Temperature tests simulate three separate phenomena and all three produce different failure modes. Steady high/low temperature tests whether the material can operate at that temperature. Temperature CYCLING creates fatigue at joints between materials with different expansion coefficients — solder cracks appear here. Thermal SHOCK intensifies this effect through an abrupt transition.

There is a distinction in humidity testing too. Steady damp heat shows the diffusion of moisture into the material and its effect on insulation properties. Cyclic damp heat creates condensation: water droplets form on the cooling surface, and this is far more aggressive than dry humidity. Water ingress into enclosures, increased leakage current and corrosion usually appear in the cyclic test.

Dust and water protection is a separate body of work and is expressed by the IP code. The point to note here is that an IP test is not a DURABILITY test: it shows that protection is provided under defined and short-duration conditions, not resistance to long-term immersion or pressure washing.

The most common mistake in this family is translating a test result directly into a LIFE PREDICTION. Accelerated tests are designed for comparison and design verification; a reliable conversion between hours in a chamber and years in the field can only be established with a material-specific acceleration model calibrated against field data.

Functional monitoring determines the value of the test. Keeping a product in a temperature chamber and then switching it on does not show what happened DURING the test. In critical applications the product is operated throughout the test and its parameters are monitored; intermittent faults that appear and disappear can only be caught this way.

Method groups in this field

Temperature
Dry heat, cold, change of temperature and thermal shock; steady and cyclic profiles.
Humidity
Steady damp heat and cyclic damp heat; cycles with condensation are more aggressive.
Water and dust
IP protection tests: dripping, spraying, jets, immersion and dust tightness.
Radiation and ageing
Accelerated ageing by xenon arc and fluorescent UV, solar radiation simulation.
Pressure and altitude
Low pressure (altitude) and rapid pressure change tests.
Corrosive atmosphere
Salt spray, mixed flowing gas corrosion (simulating industrial atmospheres), mould and fungus tests.

Commonly confused in this field

Test duration cannot be converted into field life; a conversion made without an acceleration model is misleading.
Temperature cycling and steady temperature produce different failure modes; neither replaces the other.
If the product is not operated during the test, intermittent faults remain invisible; functional monitoring determines the value of the test.
IP protection is not evidence of durability; it shows protection under defined and short-duration conditions.
A test applied without profile selection both increases cost and gives false confidence.
The mounting and orientation arrangement affects the result; the report must document it.

Which decisions these results support

Design verification and qualification
Declaration of the protection class and operating temperature range
Reproducing field failures in the laboratory and root cause analysis
Supplier component approval
Decisions on warranty period and storage conditions

Related Tests

Frequently Asked Questions About Fungus / Mould

Why is a control sample necessary?

The control sample proves that the fungal spores are viable and capable of growth. If the control shows no growth, the test is invalid and repeated; otherwise a 'no growth' result would be misleading.