The resistance to fading describes the colour stability of surface coatings at long exposure to light. Especially UV-waves in sunlight have a highly corroding effect on many materials, which causes visible discoloration.
The water absorption is the physical property of a certain material orsubstance which describes its ability to absorb liquid water. The absorption feature of building materials depends on the surface texture and its porosity and is a decisive factor for frost resistance.
Thermal shock describes the way in which some materials are prone to
damage if they are exposed to a sudden change in temperature. The resistance to
thermal shock depends on toughness, thermal conductivity and thermal expansion coefficients
of the materials. Temperature change causes expansion of the molecular
structure of an object, due to weakening of the bonds which hold the molecules
in formation. The shock is the result of a thermal gradient, which refers to
the fact that temperature change occurs in an uneven fashion, which puts stress
on the molecular structure of the material, which causes cracking if great.
Frost resistance describes the ability of building materials in a wet condition to withstand many cycles of freezing and thawing without disintegrating. The basic cause of the disintegration of materials acted upon by low temperatures is that the water filling the pores of the material expands when it freezes. Frost resistance depends primarily on the structure of the material: the larger the pores that water can penetrate, the lower frost resistance will be.
Is defined as a material's ability to resist deformation under load until fracture.