Some other objects such as paints, clothes, dentures, urine, scorpions, sagebrush, and greases will also fluoresce. However, for this discussion, we will only refer to fluorescent minerals, but the principal of why they or any other objects fluoresce is the same. When the electrons in fluorescent minerals absorb ultraviolet light energy those electrons go to another energy state, and then when they return to their normal energy state they give off energy in the form of visible light (glow); for example, the green light (color) that we see from fluorescent willemite and red light from calcite when exposed to SW UV.
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The primary causes of fluorescence have to do with the atomic structure of the fluorescent mineral or other fluorescent object. You know that all matter is composed of atoms; while atoms are composed of protons and neutrons in the nucleus, or center, and electrons on the outside. The electrons outside the nucleus are in different energy states; that is they can be thought of as being in different orbits around the nucleus (even though not technically true, that illustration is a good one). Thinking of it that way, the greater the orbit around the nucleus, the less energy (or energy state) that electron has. When fluorescent minerals are exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light either short wave (SW), medium wave (MW), long wave (LW), the electrons move to a different energy state for only a fraction of a second (about 1 millionth of a second) and when they return to their normal energy state they give off energy in the form of light. That colored light is what we see when a mineral (or object) is fluorescing.
If the electron is slow in returning to its normal energy state it can give off light for several seconds or even days. The slow release of light is called phosphorescence or after-glow. Note, almost all minerals that are phosphorescent will fluoresce, but not all minerals that are fluorescent will show phosphorescence.
Part of what makes fluorescing minerals so interesting is that the color that you see is emitted light rather than reflected light. That is, the light is generated at the mineral itself. Most of the colors that we see in our daily lives are reflected light, but the “glow” character of fluorescent minerals is different, and therefore fascinating.
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UV light is electromagnetic energy that is from about 400 nm to about 160 nm or so (technically it is 380 nm to the where the Vacuum UV starts at about 100 nm). It is usually divided into three divisions, (1) UV-A from 400 nm to 315 nm, (2) UV-B from 315 nm to 280 nm, and (3) UV-C from 280 nm to about 160 nm. Some European scientific agencies have slightly different divisions.
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Just as visible light is divided into different colors (wavelengths): red, orange, yellow, etc. so is UV energy. The UV-A wavelengths are from 400 nm to 315 nm, UV-B is from 315 nm to 280 nm, and UV-C is from 280 nm to about 160 nm. Some European agencies have slightly different divisions.
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There are three LW UV wavelengths in use: (a) about 368 nm from a fluorescent type (BL or BLB) type UV light [also called LW370], (b) 351 nm (also listed as 352 nm or 350 nm) from a LW BL or BLB type UV light [also called LW350], and (c) 365 nm from a high-pressure mercury (Hg) arc light (also called LW365). MW UV wavelengths are 312 nm and 306 nm and each of these is from a different type of fluorescent light. The only SW UV wavelength is 253.7 nm and is from a fluorescent type light without any phosphor in the lamp. There is one exception: some SW UV lamps are made to transmit the 185 nm Hg line, which is used to produce ozone.
LW or UV-A UV lights using one or more UV-A LED are now more popular. However, some UV LED’s do not produce the desired UV wavelengths (which is approximately from 345 nm to 375 nm) so you have to be careful since the manufacturers say there are LW LED’s but they might be only in the 390 nm to 405 nm range and not give good results. There is a group of LED flashlights that do produce wavelengths from 365 nm to 370 nm LW that are very powerful. If those LED flashlights are used with an ultraviolet-transmitting visible- absorbing filter (called a LW filter) they can be more powerful than LW UV lights that use a mercury arc lamp with a fluorescent phosphor inside the lamp.
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The nanometer (nm) is 10-7 cm and is the accepted unit to measure wavelength. The micron (µ), which is 10-4 cm, and the millimicron (mµ) [sometimes abbreviated µm], which is 10-7 cm, are usually not used anymore. The Ångström (Å) is 10-8 cm and for the most part is not used anymore. However, “Ångström” is an old unit not used by the scientific community although still used in some medical or biotechnology areas. Wavenumber is another unit used in the biotechnology area, it is equal to the inverse of the wavelength in nm times 10-8 and the units are in cm-1.
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Infrared (IR) are wavelengths from 750 nm (technically from 770 nm) to about 1,000,000 nm. Ultraviolet (UV) is from 400 nm (technically 380 nm) to about 100 nm. While visible is in-between at 380 to 770 nm. Some of the visible light wavelengths are 650 nm, which is red; 580 nm, which is yellow; 555 nm, which is green (and the wavelength that our eyes are most sensitive to); and 440 nm, which is blue. Some of the UV wavelengths are 368 nm, which is LW370; 351 nm, which is also LW350; 312 nm, which is MW; and 254 nm, which is SW.
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I use the engineering term, “lamp,” while some people call them bulbs or tubes. But the bulb is just the glass or quartz wall of the lamp or tube. A light is the complete light fixture with the lamp and UV filters (if used). Sometimes people use the term “lamp” to mean the bulb and in the same sentence they use lamp to mean the complete light assembly. This can cause confusion therefore, except for only a few locations on this web site, I call a lamp the part that you need to replace if the light stops working. And I call a light the complete light assembly. A lamp is NOT a UV light fixture.
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Most fluorescent applications use the fluorescent-type lamps: long wave (LW) with two different lamps with peaks at 368 nm or 352 nm, medium wave (MW) with two or more lamps with peaks at either 312 nm or 306 nm, or short wave (SW) which peaks at 254 nm. Usually those lamps come in sizes from 6 in. long at 4 W to 48 in. long at 40 W. Custom made “U” shaped lamps like the UV SYSTEMS, Inc. LL-16-351A and LL-16-368A for LW and LS-16X for SW are also used. Also, for LW, screw-in high-pressure Hg arc lamps in special fixtures are sometimes used, these lamps are usually rated at 100 W or 150 W or more. For LW UV lights the LED flashlights are becoming very
popular for several reason. LW LED UV lights are relatively inexpensive, most of them have special reflectors that focus the UV, so they are very powerful, they only need a small filter, and they come in small flashlights sizes with rechargeable batteries.
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An incandescent spectrum starts at about 320 nm (in the UV-A) and rises until it reaches a peak at about 850 nm (in the IR). The only UV wavelengths are from about 320 to 400 nm, while most of the lamp energy is actually in the deep red (about 600 nm) to the IR. Therefore, there is very little UV energy to start with. Then for a fluorescent application you would need a LW filter over the lamp to filter out as much of the visible light as you could but still transmit most of the small amount of UV energy. All LW UV filters (and SW filters) transmit a significant amount of red light (from about 650 to 750 nm), and at those wavelengths, the incandescent lamp produces the most energy. And so the net result would be red light coming through the LW filter. The red transmission of the UV filters is normally not significant because the SW and LW fluorescent type lamps do not produce any red wavelengths.
Some novelty stores sell an incandescent LW “Blacklight” lamp with a filter coating over the outside of the glass envelope or as part of the glass envelope. Those lamps are very inefficient, get very hot, have a very short life, and produce too much visible light. There are not recommended for any fluorescent application.
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The tungsten filament of an incandescent lamp is heated up by electric current the heat causes it to glow or incandesce, similar to the way that coals in a camp fire glow.
The fluorescent lamp is composed of a hollow tube with a small amount of argon gas and mercury (Hg). On the inside of the tube, the walls are coated with a powdered phosphor that will fluoresce under 254 nm UV. When the current is flowing in the fluorescent lamp the Hg arc produces 254 nm UV a wavelength, which in turn causes the phosphor to fluoresce. The color of the light is primarily determined by the fluorescent color of the phosphor. The invisible 254 nm UV wavelength is not transmitted by typical glass tubing so a fluorescent lamp makes a very safe and efficient light. For a fluorescent UV lamp the phosphor fluoresces in the UV wavelengths instead of the visible light spectrum. For a fluorescent SW UV light there is no phosphor on the lamp and the bulb wall is made of a very special glass (or in some cases quartz) that will transmit the 254 nm wavelength.
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A ballast is an electrical device that is designed to limit the amount of current inside any arc lamp (low pressure or high pressure). Since an electrical arc is a negative resistance phenomena, without a ballast wired in series with the fluorescent lamp the arc would draw so much current that the lamp would fail in seconds! The ballast limits the current to the lamp so it would operate correctly. There is no such thing as a UV lamp without a ballast; it is always a lamp and ballast combination. A lamp will not work without a ballast. A ballast can be an electromagnetic device, or a solid-state electronic device.
Some electromagnetic or solid-state ballasts also have step-up transformers in them. Some cold-cathode lamps (similar to neon signs) require a high-voltage to start the lamp and therefore have a high-voltage transformer as part of the light assembly. Those high-voltage transformers also limit the current in the lamp, so they act like ballasts. Sometimes those high-voltages transformers are just called transformers instead of ballasts (even if they function as ballasts).
A starter for a UV lamp allows the lamp to start. Most starters are a “glow plug” type with a neon gas and a thermal switch inside a glass capsule. When the voltage is first applied to the light fixture the neon gas in the capsule will conduct, causing the thermal switch to close and apply voltage to the filaments of the fluorescent type lamp. Then, because the circuit in the capsule is shorted, the gas stops conducting and the thermal switch cools and opens and the lamp then starts. Some older UV or fluorescent type lights have mechanical push buttons that do the same function.
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With intermittent use (normally how the SuperBright 3 is operated) a fully charged battery will operate one SuperBright 3 for approximately 7+ hours.
If the sealed lead-acid battery is completely discharged (in that the SuperBright will not operate) then the battery should be charged for at least 32 hours or longer. If you only have a few hours of use on the battery pack then 24 hours is long enough to charge the battery. The battery charger is not designed for trickle charging (leaving it plugged in all the time) however; no damage can be done if the battery and charger are left plugged in for 3 or 4 days (just do not leave it plugged in for weeks at a time).
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If the lead-acid battery sits for even a short time in a completely discharged state, damage can be done to the plates in the battery. This is called sulfation and results in some loss of capacity. Therefore it is important that the battery be connected to the charger as soon as possible.
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The exact number of charge-discharge cycles is dependent on how you use and charge your battery. Most users get 200-1000 charge-discharge cycles out of their battery. As the battery ages, its capacity will decrease, meaning that your SuperBright will not operate as long on each charge as it did when the battery was new.
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The UV lamp will produce significant amounts of visible light, usually a blue color (depending on the lamp). That visible light is usually more intense than the faint fluorescence and will wash out or dilute the fluorescence. The UV filter [SW, MW, or LW] will absorb most of the visible light generated by the lamp and will transmit primarily the invisible UV light so you can see the fluorescence of the object you are looking at. That is partly why we usually look at fluorescent minerals in the dark, so the ambient lighting does not wash out the fluorescence. These filters are technically called ultraviolet-transmitting visible-absorbing filters.
Special LW filters can be made so opaque that you cannot see any visible light coming through the filter when you look at the light. However, those more expensive LW filters are usually only used in special scientific UV lights. SW filters can never be made that opaque and some small amount of visible light can always be seen if you look at the UV light. Of course you should never look directly into a SW UV light without protective goggles (such as the UV SYSTEMS, Inc. GB goggles) to block the SW UV from your eyes.
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Because SW UV filters transmit from about 230 to 400 nm they are used for MW UV lights. The UV transmission of new Hoya Optics U-325C filters at 312 nm in the MW is about 84%.
Note that a SW filter can be used for LW, MW, and SW wavelengths since the filter transmits UV in the 230 to 400 nm band. A LW filter is much less expensive than a SW filter, but a LW filter does not transmit SW or MW and so ONLY works with LW wavelength lamps.
UV SYSTEMS, Inc. has completed some long term scientific tests that determine that MW UV light will not solarize SW filters. That means the SW filter in a MW UV light should last for a very long time if the filter is kept from moisture (which can harm the filter, see question #18).
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With exposure to SW UV wavelengths, the SW filters undergo a chemical process that decreases their SW UV transmission. This chemical process is called solarization, and is the greatest at the beginning of its use. As the filter receives more and more exposure to SW UV, the rate of decrease (rate of solarization) decreases. Solarization never stops but after about 100 hours of exposure, the rate of further solarization slows.
Although the SW filter absorbs visible light, a small amount of visible light does get through. This small amount is constant, neither increasing nor decreasing over the life of the filter. Therefore you cannot look at a SW filter and tell if it is solarized or not. A UV radiometer or other specialized equipment is needed to determine the SW transmission of a filter.
Another process can affect SW filters negatively. They can absorb moisture from the air and form a chemical compound coating on their surface. This white film coating will block some of the SW UV. The coating can be easily scrubbed off with common household cleaners like “Comet®” or an S.O.S.® pad. Recently some people have had success using phosphoric acid to remove the white coating. However, some glass technologists believe that once that white film coating has formed on the filter surface, then the inside of the glass has also been affected (thereby reducing the SW transmission). Therefore cleaning the coating off improves the transmission but does not restore the transmission to new levels. SW UV filters or UV lights with SW filters should always be stored in dry environments and especially away from high humidity air.
The LW UV light does not have the active wavelengths necessary to chemically change the transmission of LW filters. Therefore LW filters will not solarize and never have to be changed and they are not affected by moisture.
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The rate of solarization of a SW filter, will vary depending on several factors. First is the new filter itself. Presently one manufacturer (Hoya Optics) makes their U-325C SW filter that has a superior solarization rate compared to the other three manufacturers (Schott Glass Technologies, Kopp Glass, and Shijiazhuang Zeyuan Optics Material Co). Other factors are: intensity of the SW UV energy that it is used with, the duration of exposure to the UV wavelength, the amount of moisture or humidity that the filter is exposed to, and other lesser factors such as the temperature of the filter. No one has been able to make a SW filter that will not solarize, and it is not expected that anyone will.
To determine the expected life of a SW filter you have to decide on an arbitrary cut-off point. In other words, at what point do you consider that a SW filters needs to be replaced? A new filter usually has a 57 to 65% transmission (they average about 60%) and UV SYSTEMS, Inc. considers that when a filter gets down to 30% transmission it should be replaced. (Therefore a filter with a 30% transmission would be only about 50% of its original transmission). So the filter that needs to be replaced would be transmitting only about half of the SW UV that it originally transmitted.
UV SYSTEMS, Inc. has completed some scientific tests on the solarization rate of the SW, FS-60 filters used in the SW TripleBright 3 (models FSLS and DFSLSS) light with its LS-60-254 lamp. The results show that the FS-60 filters will last about 7,000 hours (to the 30% transmission point), providing they are in a dry environment. It is not clear why the SW filters will last so much longer in a TripleBright 3 then in a SuperBright 3, it could be the higher ambient temperature of the TripleBright 3, but that is just an unproven theory at this time.
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A brand new molded or poured SW filter such as the U-325C made by Hoya Optics that is 5 mm thick will have a transmission of about 57.5 to 65% (they average about 60%) at 253.7 nm. If that same filter is polished thinner then the transmission would be higher. The reason for the variation [57.5 to 65%] is because the transmission curve is very steep at 253.7 nm and therefore there can be slight differences between one filter batch and another. That same Hoya filter has almost a flat 84% transmission from about 290 nm to about 345 nm, and therefore it works very well with MW lamps (that produce UV wavelengths with a peak at 306 to 312 nm).
The typical poured or rolled LW filter for use with fluorescent type UV lamps has a peak transmission of about 79% at 365 nm. Those LW filters are used in the SuperBright 3 models 4351 or 4368 and the LW TripleBright 3 model FLL52 or FLL68. Other types of LW filters could have lower transmissions at 365 nm (not good), but they would block more of the visible light (good) that is transmitted, especially the red wavelengths. The transmission of the integral filters on the BLB lamps would usually have a higher transmission (and pass more of the visible light which is not good).
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SW UV filters go through a chemical change that decreases their ability to the transmit SW UV energy. This decrease is called solarization, and is primarily a function of the amount of SW UV energy that the filter is exposed to. The longer the exposure time or the higher the SW UV intensity (or both) the more the solarization. In most germicidal SW UV lamps made with erythemal (also called UV-C) glass solarization also affects the glass of the bulb wall. Quartz lamps like those made for the SuperBright 3 model 4254 (LS-16XA) or the SW TripleBright 3 (LS-60-254) have the least amount of solarization, much less than the erythemal glass. Also the quartz lamp solarization is much less that what occurs in SW UV filters.
UV SYSTEMS, Inc. has completed scientific tests that determine that MW UV light will not solarize SW filters.
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The electrical watts powering a UV light or lamp does not indicate the UV output. For example, the erythemal glass used by other manufacturers in the lamps in their SW UV lights transmits about 79% of the UV generated. But a quartz lamp such as the UV SYSTEMS, Inc. LS-16XA, which is used in the SuperBright 3 model 4254, transmits about 91% of the 253.7 nm UV wavelength. If two lamps were made physically identical, with one made from quartz and one with the more common erythemal glass, and if the electrical watts used by both lamps were the same, the quartz lamp would produce more SW UV (because of its higher transmission). Also the ballast (driving circuit) affects the efficacy of a lamp. The LS-16XA in the SuperBright 3 model 4254 is driven by a 23 KHz inverter-ballast which is more efficient than the typical 60 Hz household powered ballasts that other manufacturers use.
Another factor is the arc-power of a lamp. There is a very close relationship between arc-power and UV output. Arc-power is basically the current in the lamp’s arc, and the longer the arc the more efficient the lamp. However, arc-power is usually difficult for the average used to measure without very specialized equipment.
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The test UV light to be measured is mounting horizontally over a measure grid that is two feet by four feet. The measurement points are made in a rectangular grid, every 6 inches along the two foot dimension and every 12 inches along the four foot dimension which gives 25 measurement points, with # 13 being in the center directly under the center of the test light. When the test light is in place the distance from the outside of the UV filter to the top of the UV radiometer sensor is exactly 24.0 inches. Note that this is the approximate height of most standard Federation displays and the grid area “floor” size of the 2′ x 4′ is approximately the size of most standard display cases.
To understand the grid area, if you are looking down from the top at the exact center; location #1 would be one foot up and over to your left two feet, while #2 would be six inches up and over to your left two feet, and #3 would be along the centerline of the long axis of the test light and over to your left two feet. That means that #13 is in the exact center.
By measuring each display light exactly the same way, using the same method, and equipment, you can obtain reliable results to compare. The measure procedure requires that you put the UV sensor at lotion #13, turning on the UV light to allow it to warm up and then waiting until the output is constant. That insures that all the measurements will be from a constant UV output. After the 25 measurements are recorded, the sensor it put back on #13 again to insure that the light has not drifted. If the output has drifted all the measurements have to be repeated.
For SW UV lights, the next step is to remove the SW filter and measure the transmission of that specific filter. Once the transmission has been determined, a correction factor is calculated for that SW filter, correcting the transmission to 65% (about the highest possible for a new unused SW filter). Then that correction factor is applied to all the 25 measurements that have been made. That step is done for each UV display light tested. This means that the solarization condition of the SW filter is not a factor in the UV output measurements for each light tested. All the measurements are normalized to a perfect 65% transmission SW filter.
By measuring the average value in the 2 feet by 4 feet measure area it is possible to obtain a quantitative value of the UV output of different UV lights. Also the high-to-low ratio of the measurement points can tell you if the light is distributed the UV uniformly in the whole 2 by 4 foot area. The larger the high-to-low ratio the more uneven the UV distribution.
There are other technical details concerning the Newsome/Plewman measurement method that are to detailed to mention here, but at least you get an idea about the technical details necessary for accurate radiometric testing of UV light assemblies.
Dale Plewman is a retired Professional Engineer who operated a photometric laboratory for Columbia Lighting. He has tested thousands of luminaries. He proposed the general concept several years ago. I just modified it and named it the Newsome/Plewman measurement method.
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Special UV absorbing plastic is recommended for windows in display cases. Plastic such as Evonik Cyro LLC [www.cyro.com], OP2 or OP3 is recommended for display windows.
All SW UV lights produce a small amount of LW UV wavelengths, and of course all LW lights produce a large amount of LW UV wavelengths. LW UV wavelengths will pass through almost all glass windows. If the public is looking at a fluorescent mineral display in the dark soon they (especially kids) will notice that their shoe strings, paints, blouses, or other clothes will be fluorescing and now you have lost them. They are more interested in their clothes fluorescing than in minerals! OP-2 or OP-3 not only does not fluoresce like glass does, but it blocks all UV light not just the harmful UV-C radiation. And by blocking the LW UV light none of the public’s clothes will fluoresce.
Other plastics made by other companies also have UV absorbing plastic; however, I have not tested them to determine if they are non-fluorescent in the dark. Cyro calls their OP2 or OP3 sheets Acrylite, they also make a scratch resistance version called OP3 MR. All of the sheets can be purchased from plastic sheet companies and they will cut them to your size, usually at no extra cost. In the FAQ section, Spectral Data, Filter transmissions, is a transmission curve called “Typical Cyro Industries OP3 window plastic.”
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The LW350, LW365, or LW370 wavelengths are classified as Risk Group I per the ANSI/IESNA RP-27.3-96 (1997 Recommended Practice for Photobiological Safety for Lamps and Lamp Systems: General Requirements). This category is referred to as “low risk” where “the lamp does not pose any photobiological hazard due to normal behavioral limitations on exposure.” LW lamps are safe.
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Most UV lights are made up of housing, reflector, electrical ballast, lamp socket, on-off switch, and cover with an attached filter. The UV lamp is inside the housing, and its output is controlled by the ballast and the reflector. A good design directs the most UV wavelengths through the UV filter while still maintaining the optimum lamp bulb wall temperature for maximum UV output.
However, there are a lot of variations in UV lights. Some lights have more than one lamp per housing, and some have more than one drive current for the lamp. Some have fans to maintain the lamp(s) at an optimum operating temperature. Some do not have any cover or filter (usually for irradiation applications).
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Fluorescent applications. Both private collectors and museums use ultraviolet lights, such as those shown here, to display the beauty of fluorescent minerals. Most use SW or both SW and LW as vs. only LW350 or LW370, but some also use MW wavelengths. For fluorescent mineral applications when LW is used, LW370 is much more common than LW350. Most other fluorescent applications use only LW UV energy. These are for special effects in theatrical shows or discos, for signs, or for non-destructive testing. In biotechnology UV wavelengths are used to visualize DNA that has been stained with ethidium bromide, or to see cells that have absorbed special fluorescent stains. In biochemistry TLC plates with DNA or RNA will appear blue under UV light.
Irradiation applications. Irradiation applications include curing inks, coatings, glues and adhesives, and for surface, water, and air disinfections. For irradiation applications involving curing glues, coatings and inks usually LW365 or LW370 in the UV-A range are used. For surface, water, or air disinfections only SW (UV-C) at 253.7 nm is used.
All of these make up the majority of UV applications, even though there are hundreds of other applications for the use of UV energy.
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The Philips Lights LW BLB lamps made in Holland transmit much less visible light and therefore can be used for LW fluorescent mineral displays. This is not true for lamps from the other vendors such as General Electric, Sylvania – Osram, Sankyo Denki, or other lamp manufacturers. Only BLB lamps from Philips Lighting made in Holland are acceptable for LW fluorescent mineral displays.
The problem with the BLB lamps made by other lamp vendors is that the true fluorescent colors of some minerals are not seen, for example, if you are looking at an orange fluorescent mineral it would look pink to you. The reason is the blue light coming through the filter would reflect off of the specimen and mix with the orange fluorescence and you would see a pink color instead of the orange. That is not a problem with the Philips Lighting BLB lamps such as the LL-20-368BLB or the LL-15-368BLB. The Philips BLB lamps have much denser LW filters and therefore transmit less of the visible light. The Philips BLB lamps only come with the LW370 phosphor.
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There are no LW, MW wavelength or even white phosphor fluorescent lamps that are immune to lumen depreciation (reduction in efficiency with use). [For UV lamps it is called UV depreciation]. The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America in their 1981 IES Lighting Handbook, Reference Volume, says, “The lumen output of fluorescent lamps decreases with accumulated burning time. Although the exact nature of the change in the phosphor which causes the phenomenon is not fully understood, it is known that at least during the first 4000 hours of operation the reduction in efficacy is related to arc-power to phosphor-area ratios.” What that means is the harder the lamp is driven (the more current through the lamp) the greater the lumen or UV depreciation. The 4W, 6W and 8W lamps used in most hand-held UV lights are not driven hard compared to the lighting industry standard 4 ft. fluorescent lamp. But those 4, 6, and 8 W lamps still have UV depreciation.
LW phosphor lamps used in most hand-held UV lights (4W, 6W, and 8W) have been given “life” rating by the lighting industry. This rating is called “average rated life” and is about 6,000 hours for those 4W, 6W and 8W lamps. Note the lighting industry “life rating” is based on burning the lamp for 3 hours “on” and 30 min. “off”. The actual life of most UV lamps depends on how many times it is turned “on” and “off”. The more “on/off” cycles the shorter the life of the lamp. However, most people turn their lamp “off” in much less than 3 hours, and so the actual life could be less than 1/2 the standard life rating.
When white fluorescent lamps were first introduced commercially in about 1935 the average life was about 5,000 hours and the lumen depreciation was greater than about 60% at about 2,500 hours. Now the typical white 4 ft. fluorescent lamp has an average life greater than 24,000 hours and a lumen depreciation of only 4% at about 9,600 hours. While the lamp and phosphor scientists have made great strides in improving the lighting industry standard 4 ft. white fluorescent lamp very little progress have been made for the two LW Blacklight phosphors (one with a peak at 352 nm, called LW350, and the other with a peak at 368 nm, called LW370). Of the approximately 456 types of fluorescent lamps made all of the UV or Blacklight lamps make up less than 1% of the total lighting industries lamp production. Therefore there is not much economic incentive to do research to develop low UV depreciation LW phosphors and lamps. The typical UV depreciation of a 4W, 6W, or 8W LW lamp might be as much as 40% to 50% in about 2,400 hours.
UV SYSTEMS, Inc. has completed a scientific UV depreciation test using one TripleBright 3 LW LL-60-352 lamp. From this test it was determined that the UV output of that lamp depreciated to about 80% of initial output (a 20% reduction) after about 7,000 hours of use. While this was only a sample of one, it could be typical of all LL-60-352 lamps.
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When I was working at Boeing Commercial Airplane Group in the Flat Panel Display Group, we learned from a lamp manufacturer that they had determined empirically that mercury (Hg) was one of the culprits in reducing the lumen output of the phosphor. Apparently the Hg works its way into the phosphor to effectively “poison” the phosphor with use. There now is a UV transparent coating that can be applied over the phosphor to protect the phosphor some. While the coating is not 100% effective, it reduces the UV depreciation in LW phosphors by maybe 25% to 35%. However, it requires another step or two in the manufacturing process so very few commercial lamp manufacturers use this protective coating -it is just not economical. Without the coating the lamps have to be replaced more often. Custom-made lamps like the LL-16-352A and LL-16-368A lamps that are used in the UV SYSTEMS, Inc. SuperBright 3 models 4352 or 4368 are coated with the special coating to reduce the Hg “poisoning”.
Unless you have access to a UV radiometer or integrating sphere and can measure the UV output of your LW lamps it is hard to tell when they have depreciated significantly. As a rule of thumb I suggest to museums with LW displays with heavy usage that they replace their LW lamps after an estimated 7,000 to 8,000 hours of use.
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The SW LS-16XA lamp used in the SW SuperBright 3 is made from quartz tubing. To make a combination SW and LW lamp, one half of a SW lamp would have to be coated with LW phosphor. Presently it in not technically possible for a LW phosphor to adhere or bond to the inside (or outside) of quartz tubing. And even if there was a way to do that, UV SYSTEMS, Inc. would most likely not manufacturer such a lamp. The reason is that the SW energy would only be about ½ the power it is now (because ½ the energy would be going into LW), and that would make the SuperBright 3 just an ordinary SW UV light not one of the most powerful handheld SW UV lights available. Although combination UV lamps where they are ½ SW and ½ LW are available from other companies, in my opinion they are almost a gimmick since more fluorescent minerals will show up best under SW wavelengths than under LW wavelengths and most collectors want a SW light.
Also there in no room inside the housing to mount two lamps, a SW and a LW lamp along with another inverter ballast and another socket.
Since a SW filter will work for LW wavelengths, some people purchase a SW SuperBright 3 and an extra LL-16-368A LW lamp. Then when they want to look at LW minerals, they just over the cover and switch the lamps. The SuperBright 3 is specially designed with only one simple captive handle to unscrew and the cover quickly opens on its hinges. That allows them to quickly change lamps.
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A 25 W lamp like the LS-25S, or LM-25-312 requires a 25 W ballast. Unfortunately those 25 W ballasts are not common and are not available at your common hardware stores like Home Depot. Those ballasts must usually be special ordered from wholesale electrical supply stores (although you might find someone else that can get them for you).
One company that makes ballasts for the G25T8 lamp (my lamp number LS-25S) or the LM-25-312 is:
Robertson Worldwide
4700 137th Street
Crestwood, IL 60445
Web: www.robertsonww.com
Email: info@robertsonlighting.com
Phone: 800 323 5633
or 708 388 2315
Below are some catalog numbers for Robertson 25 W 120VAC input ballasts:
Manufacturer Model number Input voltage Comments
Robertson Worldwide SS20604 120VAC No starter required
Robertson Worldwide S20604 /D 120VAC Starter required
Robertson Worldwide S20604 /B 220V at 50 Hz Starter required
Robertson Worldwide 020604 /D 120VAC Starter required
Other ballast manufacturers might also make ballasts for the G25T8 lamp.
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SW UV or MW UV (or any wavelength below 315 nm) could cause conjunctivitis on your cornea. It is also incorrectly called “welders blindness” or “snow blindness”. While this does not cause blindness, in very severe exposures the person’s eyes might be temporarily closed for several days. Since it makes you feel like you have sand in your eyes, it is very painful. Your eyes should be protected anytime you are around SW or MW UV lights. Even if you are not looking at the lights, some UV can reflect off the surroundings, rocks, minerals, ground, floor, walls, etc. that over a long period (45 minutes or longer) of time might expose your unprotected eyes to harmful amounts of UV radiation. Looking at a fluorescent display that is in a case with a glass or special plastic window poses no hazard because the glass or plastic blocks all SW or MW UV.
Note also that skin is also sensitive to SW or MW excessive exposure but not as sensitive as your eyes. With too much exposure, your skin can become sunburned. Arms and face areas are often more sensitive than the palms of your hands. You cannot get a suntan from SW or MW UV, only a sunburn.
To protect your eyes wear safety goggles like the UV SYSTEMS, Inc. GB. Even eye glasses will also block the SW UV. In fact almost any goggles will block the SW UV wavelengths. The GB goggles will block ALL UV wavelengths; SW, MW, LW350 or LW370.
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The SW 253.7 nm UV energy turns some of the oxygen molecules (O2) to ozone (O3). The ozone is very unstable, and two ozone molecules quickly turn into three oxygen molecules.
The 185 nm mercury (Hg) arc emission line produces a lot of ozone gas since it is very efficient in turning most of the oxygen near the lamp into ozone. Fortunately the erythemal glass (which is in most germicidal lamps) does not transmit that 185 nm Hg emission line. Most quartz SW lamps have an additive added to the quartz when they are making the tubing that absorbs that 185 nm Hg arc emission line. That quartz is called “ozone free” (even if the 253.7 nm line produces a very small amount of ozone). The UV SYSTEMS, Inc. LS-16XA and the LS-60-254 lamps are made from that “ozone free” “L” quartz, type 219.
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SW UV at 253.7 nm is also called the germicidal wavelength and it is the wavelength that will kill most microorganisms. However, some microorganisms are more resistant to UV wavelengths than others. For example most molds are more resistant to UV energy than bacteria. Some microorganisms require a higher intensity or longer exposure time for the same kill rate. Temperature and humidity can also affect the kill rate. Generally the longer the exposure time or the higher the UV intensity (or both) the higher the kill rate. Usually the kill rate is expressed as a percentage of microorganisms killed, a 99% kill rate is usually the highest rate listed, and an 80% or 90% kill rate is often more commonly used. Note that only microorganisms that have direct exposure to the SW UV wavelengths will be killed. For exact kill rates for a specific microorganism, a bacteriologist should be consulted.
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As stated in question #36 there are several factors involved in the kill rate of microorganisms. Some of the most important are the type of microorganism (mold is much harder to kill), intensity, and exposure time. Obviously waving the UV light over a surface has a very short exposure time (factions of a second). Many recommended kill rates for UV lights are listed in tens of minutes if not longer. Plus, to have a hand-held UV wand with the battery inside the device would mean that you could not have a very powerful SW UV light (therefore low intensity). A very powerful hand-held UV light would require one or more large UV lamps (bulbs) and a large battery (therefore a large UV light, not a small wand). So, with low intensity and short exposure time, it is extremely unlikely if there was even a 2% to 8% kill rate. Plus, the way microorganism kill rated are determined it is questionable that a four significate kill rate number would be used.
The TripleBright 3 WOCLS and the Dual TripleBright 3 WOCLSS are specifically designed to kill microorganisms. At the present time no kill rate data is available.
Usually LW370 (with a peak at about 368 nm) is the most efficient wavelength to cure UV adhesives, glues, coatings, cements or inks. However, in some cases both LW350 (with a peak at about 352 nm) and LW370 were equally effective in curing a specific brand of UV adhesive. Since UV curing is an irradiation process the UV lights used do not need covers or UV filters.
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Non-destructive testing is a fluorescent application where a fluorescent dye is added to some solution or liquid. Parts (often metal castings) are dipped in the solution and then removed and exposed to the UV light. The dye will penetrate into microscopic cracks in the casting and when exposed to LW365, LW370 or LW350 will fluoresce brightly in the dark. Non-destructive testing is used to find if a part has any potential cracks that could lead to failure of that part.
A similar non-destructive technique is used to find excess solder paste on a printed circuit board (PCB) or other electronic parts. Excess solder paste could lead to corrosion on a PCB or potentially cause electrical shorts. There are many other applications of using UV-A for non-destructive testing.
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All UV wavelengths are used for fluorescent applications in forensic science. For UV photography applications usually LW350, LW370, or MW wavelengths and sometimes SW UV wavelengths will be used. For irradiation applications usually just SW wavelengths will be used.
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There are some prototype UV-C LED’s available that have a peak wavelength at 285 nm, 280 nm, 275 nm, and even 255 nm. However, their UV output is so low that you would most likely need 50 to 100 of those LED’s to have the same power as the smallest UV fluorescent type light. Presently those UV-C LED’s cost one sixty, to hundreds of dollars each, so an adequate SW UV light might be as much as $4,000 to $20,000 with very short life. In addition, so far, all UV-C LED’s produce a small amount of visible light which tends to wash out the fluorescence in the mineral specimens. Most of the visible light is because of the intrinsic fluorescence of the material in the LED chip and therefore difficult to design out. An ultraviolet-transmitting visible-absorbing filter might be needed to reduce that visible light generated, therefore increasing the cost of a UV-C light more.
However, there have been tremendous strides in UV-C LED progress with new developments coming almost monthly, if not more often. So, stay tuned.
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UV-A LED development has grown so fast these last 10 years that it is hard to keep up. However, one of the biggest problems that I see is that many of the LED manufactures are marketing them so much that some are very loose with the technical specifications, especially the peak wavelength of their LED. I have seen many LED’s marketed as UV Lights but when their peak was actually measured that output was at 385 nm or 390 nm. UV wavelengths are anything below 380 nm. Other manufactures advertise their LED’s at 365 nm, but they actually measure at 380 nm or even 400 nm.
UV-A LED’s all produce a small amount of visible light, and that visible light tends to wash out the fluorescence of the mineral specimen, especially dim fluorescent specimens. Consequently to have a good LW LED light you might need a LW ultraviolet-transmitting visible-absorbing filter over the LED’s. While many LW fluorescent minerals might fluoresce at 380nm to 400nm no practical LW filter transmits many of those wavelengths. See FAQ’s, then Spectral Date, then Filter transmission, then Typical #400 LW Filter transmission.
I am not saying that all UV-A LED manufactures fudge on the technical specifications, I am just saying that you have to be careful in believing what is advertised.
There most likely are UV-A LED manufactures that produce a 360 nm to 370 nm LED that is so powerful that you can ignore the small about of visible light that they produce. The development of UV-A LED’s is so dynamic that new developments are happening almost weekly if not more often.
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Any lithium battery pack would have to be a custom design because of the connector used on a SuperBright II or 3 UV light. Because of the shipping restrictions it would be very difficult to design a lithium battery pack that could be shipped outside the USA. UV SYSTEMS has been looking into lighter weight nickel-Metal hydride (NiMH) battery packs, but it requires lots of life tests with the battery and charger system before we would sell such a system.
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The UV output of the lamp (bulb) in a SuperBright (SW, MW, LW350, or LW370) will reach its maximum output in about 45 to 55 sec. After that, the lamp will heat up slowly and start to reduce its maximum output temporarily. After the lamp is continually “on” for about 4 to 6 minutes it will stabilize, with the output maybe 15% to 20% below the peak output because of the mercury arc temperature. Because our eyes see things logarithmically you will not notice that 20% drop in output. However, for most applications the SuperBright is turned “on” for only a short time (often less than 6 minutes) and then turned “off” to preserve the SW filter. So, the reduction in output is usually less than 20%. Plus when you turn off the SuperBright for even a few seconds (5 to 10 seconds) the arc temperature quickly drops so when you turn it “on” again it starts at fully output in less than 45 to 55 sec.
Another important reason for not having a fan in the SuperBright is over a period of time the fan will draw in dirty outside air the that will coat the lamp and reflector and reduce the output of the light. Working outside might require cleaning the lamp and reflector every day.
A fan in the TripleBright and Dual TripleBright series of UV lights is desired since in most displays the UV light is left “on” for long periods of time, somethings continually all day. The fan helps maintain the correct arc temperature inside the lamps. And most displays are in a clean environment, so less cleaning of the lamp and reflector is required.