Wire/cable insulations that are prone to surface fungus growth can impair maintenance activities by obscuring wire identifications, concealing wire/cable damage, and potentially creating a health hazard for the maintainers. Although fungus resistance is a common trait with modern aerospace wire/cable constructions, the need to verify the fungus resistance exists to ensure no in-service surprises.
The purpose of the fungus resistance test is to determine the susceptibility of a specimen to fungus growth on the insulation. To do this, short sections of the specimen are exposed to a variety of common molds/fungus for several weeks then visually examined. A passing specimen will show no fungus growth on the insulation whereas a failed specimen will show some level of fungus growth susceptibility. The test is designed to run sufficiently long in favorable environmental conditions to promote fungus/mold growth.
Parameters that can be changed with this test include:
- Fungus types
- Exposure duration
- Exposure conditions
- Post-test assessment