Vacuum Testing — IEC 60068-2-13 / ECSS Aerospace Specifications

What Is Vacuum?

The vacuum test is one in which the sample is held in a high-vacuum environment to assess outgassing, sealing and thermal behaviour. It is a fundamental component of the space environment.

Purpose of Vacuum

The purpose is to verify that components intended to operate in a vacuum do not suffer material loss, contamination or cooling problems.

Which Products Is Vacuum Applied To?

Satellite and spacecraft components
Vacuum equipment parts
Adhesive and coating materials
Electronic modules

In Which Sectors Is Vacuum Used?

ElectronicsElectricalAutomotiveDefenceAerospace

Standards Related to Vacuum

IEC 60068-2-13series of environmental testing methods test
ASTM E595
ECSS-Q-ST-70-02

Vacuum Conditions

Pressure: High vacuum level defined in the specification
Temperature: High temperature defined in outgassing tests (125 °C in ASTM E595)
Time: ASTM E595'te 24 saat
Measurement: Total mass loss (TML) and condensable volatile matter (CVCM)

Equipment for Vacuum

High-vacuum system and pump set
Vacuum measurement instruments
Heated specimen chamber and collector plate
Microbalance

Sample Requirements for Vacuum

Sample mass and size must be prepared per the standard
The sample must be conditioned in the defined environment before the test
Initial mass must be measured on a microbalance
The number of specimens is defined in the standard

Duration of Vacuum

24 hours of vacuum for ASTM E595; a few days including preparation and weighing.

Vacuum Procedure

1The specimen is conditioned and its mass is measured.
2The specimen is placed in the vacuum chamber.
3The system is brought down to the defined vacuum level.
4The sample is held at the defined temperature for the defined duration.
5The system is vented and the sample and collector plate are weighed.
6TML and CVCM values are calculated.

Vacuum Acceptance Criteria

The acceptance criterion is given in space specifications; the common criterion is that TML does not exceed 1% and CVCM does not exceed 0.1%.

Evaluation of Results

High outgassing causes contamination of optical surfaces. TML and CVCM are therefore assessed together in material selection.

Vacuum Report

Standard applied
Vacuum level, temperature and duration
Initial and final masses
TML and CVCM values

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

Space material specifications (ECSS)

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

The section below describes the field that the Vacuum 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 Vacuum

According to which standard is Vacuum made?

Vacuum is executed in scope IEC 60068-2-13, ASTM E595 and ECSS-Q-ST-70-02. The limit values and acceptance criteria to be applied are defined in the product standard; The version valid for your product is confirmed in writing at the offer stage.

Which products does Vacuum apply to?

Mainly applied to Satellite and spacecraft components, Vacuum equipment parts, Adhesive and coating materials and Electronic modules. Whether your product is included in the scope is determined by examining its technical specifications and intended use.

Under what conditions is Vacuum done?

The determining parameters are: Pressure — High vacuum level defined in the specification, Temperature — High temperature defined in outgassing tests (125 °C in ASTM E595) and Time — ASTM E595'te 24 saat. The full terms are in the "Test Conditions" section on the page and vary depending on the product standard.

What kind of sample is needed for Vacuum?

Sample mass and size must be prepared per the standard, The sample must be conditioned in the defined environment before the test and Initial mass must be measured on a microbalance. The number of samples is determined according to the product standard and the scope to be reported.

How long does Vacuum take?

24 hours of vacuum for ASTM E595; a few days including preparation and weighing. This duration belongs to the experiment itself; sample preparation, queuing and reporting are also evaluated. A realistic schedule for your product is given in the offer.

What is the Vacuum result called "appropriate"?

The acceptance criterion is given in space specifications; the common criterion is that TML does not exceed 1% and CVCM does not exceed 0.1%.