Not all Ultra Violet (UV) Lights are Equal
Ultra Violet Light, also known as UV light, is recognizable by its purple glow. The Ultra Violet waves in a UV light are actually invisible to the human eye but emit enough energy to be very harmful if looked at directly without protective lenses. As the wavelength of the UV light gets shorter, the amount of visible light is also reduced and the amount of energy produced is increased. Very low wavelength UV Lights, such as those used in tanning salons, can burn the skin with prolonged exposure.
UV lights are most commonly found in the wavelength range of 385 nm to 400 nm. When seen with the human eye, these lights appear to be very bright, but actually offer less benefit than the lower wavelength UV lights. The best UV Lights emit very little visible light. A good test of the effectiveness of the UV Light is to shine it through a clear Ultra Violet protective lens. Most quality eye glasses have an Ultra Violet protective lens and can be used for this test. An Ultra Violet protective lens will block all of the UV light allowing only the visible light to pass through. The less light seen through the lens the higher the quality of the UV light.
Higher quality UV Lights, such as those offered on this website, peak at lower wavelengths than the more common and less expensive UV lights. Our UV lights have a wavelength of 360nm to 380nm making them useful and effective in many more applications such as curing resin, forensics, and other scientific and law enforcement areas.
When comparing UV Lights, it is important that they be evaluated based upon the advertised wavelength. If the light you are considering is very bright, and the seller does not advertise the wavelength, then you can bet that the light is in the range of 385 nm to 400 nm and not as useful as others.
About Ultra Violet Light
(Excerpted From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Ultraviolet (UV) light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than x-rays, in the range 10 nm to 400 nm, and energies from 3 eV to 124 eV. It is so named because the spectrum consists of electromagnetic waves with frequencies higher than those that humans identify as the color violet.
UV light is found in sunlight and is emitted by electric arcs and specialized lights such as black lights. As an ionizing radiation it can cause chemical reactions, and causes many substances to glow or fluoresce. Most people are aware of the effects of UV through the painful condition of sunburn, but the UV spectrum has many other effects, both beneficial and damaging, on human health.
The Sun emits ultraviolet radiation in the UVA, UVB, and UVC bands, but because of absorption in the atmosphere's ozone layer, 98.7% of the ultraviolet radiation that reaches the Earth's surface is UVA. (Some of the UVB and UVC radiation is responsible for the generation of the ozone layer.)
Ordinary glass is partially transparent to UVA but is opaque to shorter wavelengths while Silica or quartz glass, depending on quality, can be transparent even to vacuum UV wavelengths. Ordinary window glass passes about 90% of the light above 350 nm, but blocks over 90% of the light below 300 nm.
Applications of Ultra Violet Light
Security
A bird appears on many Visa credit cards when held under a UV light source
To help thwart counterfeiters, sensitive documents (e.g. credit cards, driver's licenses, passports) may also include a UV watermark that can only be seen when viewed under a UV-emitting light. Passports issued by most countries usually contain UV sensitive inks and security threads. Visa stamps and stickers on passports of visitors contain large and detailed seals invisible to the naked eye under normal lights, but strongly visible under UV illumination. Passports issued by many nations have UV sensitive watermarks on all pages of the passport. Currencies of various countries' banknotes have an image, as well as many multicolored fibers, that are visible only under ultraviolet light.
Some brands of pepper spray will leave an invisible chemical (UV Dye) that is not easily washed off on a pepper sprayed attacker, which would help police identify them later.
Forensics
UV is an investigative tool at the crime scene helpful in locating and identifying bodily fluids (semen, blood, bile etc.)
Hunting
Hunters can use UV lights to follow the blood trail of a wounded animal.
Biological surveys and pest control
Some animals, including birds, reptiles, and insects such as bees, can see into the near ultraviolet. Many fruits, flowers, and seeds stand out more strongly from the background in ultraviolet wavelengths as compared to human color vision. Scorpions glow or take on a yellow to green color under UV illumination thus assisting in the control of these sometimes fatally venomous arachnids. Many birds have patterns in their plumage that are invisible at usual wavelengths but observable in ultraviolet, and the urine and other secretions of some animals, including dogs, cats, and human beings, is much easier to spot with ultraviolet. Urine trails of rodents can be detected by pest control technicians for proper treatment of infested dwellings.
Many insects use the ultraviolet wavelength emissions from celestial objects as references for flight navigation. A local ultraviolet emissor will normally disrupt the navigation process and will eventually attract the flying insect.
Ultraviolet traps called bug zappers are used to eliminate various small flying insects. They are attracted to the UV light, and are killed using an electric shock, or trapped once they come into contact with the device. Different designs of ultraviolet light traps are also used by entomologists for collecting nocturnal insects during faunistic survey studies.
Sanitary compliance
UV lamps including newer LEDs (light emitting diode) aid in the detection of organic mineral deposits that remain on surfaces where periodic cleaning and sanitizing may not be properly accomplished. Both urine and phosphate soaps are easily detected using UV inspection. Pet urine deposits in carpeting or other hard surfaces can be detected for accurate treatment and removal of mineral tracers and the odor causing bacteria that feeds on proteins within. Many hotel and hospitality industries use UV lamp to inspect for unsanitary bedding to determine life cycle for mattress restoration as well as general performance of the cleaning staff. A perennial news feature for many television news outfits involves an investigative reporter using a similar device to reveal the various unsanitary conditions in hotels, public toilets, hand rails, and so on.
Analyzing minerals
Ultraviolet lamps are also used in analyzing minerals, gems, and in other detective work including authentication of various collectibles. Materials may look the same under visible light, but fluoresce to different degrees under ultraviolet light; or may fluoresce differently under short wave ultraviolet versus long wave ultraviolet.
Authentication
In other detective work including authentication of various collectibles and art, and detecting counterfeit currency absent of marker dyes. Materials may look the same under visible light, but fluoresce to different degrees under ultraviolet light; or may fluoresce differently under short wave ultraviolet versus long wave ultraviolet.
Chemical markers
UV fluorescent dyes are used in many applications (for example, biochemistry and forensics). The Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) is often used in genetics as a marker. Many substances, such as proteins, have significant light absorption bands in the ultraviolet that are of use and interest in biochemistry and related fields. UV-capable spectrophotometers are common in such laboratories.
Curing of electronic potting resins
Electronic components that require clear transparency for light to exit or enter (photo voltaic panels and sensors)can be potted using acrylic resins that are cured using UV light energy. The advantages are low VOC emissions and rapid curing.
Curing of inks, adhesives, varnishes and coatings
Certain inks, coatings and adhesives are formulated with photoinitiators and resins. When exposed to the correct energy and irradiance in the required band of UV light, polymerization occurs, and so the adhesives harden or cure. Usually, this reaction is very quick, a matter of a few seconds. Applications include glass and plastic bonding, optical fiber coatings, the coating of flooring, UV Coating and paper finishes in offset printing, and dental fillings. Curing of decorative finger nail "gels".
