The days of glow in the dark stars on our ceilings have evolved significantly. Previous photoluminescent stickers and powders from the 70's used a product called ZINC SULPHIDE. A new premium grade product call STRONTIUM ALUMINATE provides a more superior product with a significantly shorter charge time and longer glow time. Excited by Light!! Our photoluminescent powder has a tremendous capacity t
o absorb, store and emit light. What is glow in the dark powder? The chemical name for this photoluminescent powder is Strontium Aluminate. Strontium aluminate is activated with europium (SrAl03:Eu) to create a relatively new, safer and more effective glow in the dark powder than its predecessor. Zinc Sulfide was used for decades, giving us the glow in the dark stickers from our childhood that we put on our ceilings. The glow of strontium aluminate last considerably longer and is approximately 10 times stronger than zinc sulfide. Although the strontium aluminate is more expensive than zinc sulfide, the trade off is a much safer and more superior product. How safe is glow in the dark powder? Strontium aluminate is non-toxic, non-flammable, and non-radioactive. It is also environmentally friendly. The MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) will provide specific information. How does glow in the dark powder work?
1. Direct light energy is absorbed by the powder’s particles or ‘excited by light’.
2. The glow happens when the particles are exposed to semi dark or dark conditions and they slowly release this energy in the form of light. Any light source will “excite” the product. Sunlight will excite it quicker but artificial light (fluorescent lights, light bulbs, and UV Black lights) will also work. What are the benefits?
• Money saving
• Energy saving
• Light source
• Funky and fun (endless)
• Safety applications (endless)
How many years can I expect to see the glowing effect? The process of absorption of light and release of glow will occur repeatedly, day & night, for up to 20 years, maybe more. Over this time the intensity of glow will reduce by around 5%. What is a ‘medium’? The powder itself is just the raw product that needs to be added to a medium (the stuff you mix it with). The choice of medium you choose is limited only by your imagination. What mediums can I add the powder to? The applications are endless but first, lets look at how the powder can’t be used. There are a few restrictions:
• It can’t be used on metal or in an acid base.
• It can’t be used in water, although we do have a water-soluble powder available.
• Darkly pigmented mediums will both increase the charging time and lower the brightness of the glow so broadly should not be used. Feel free to experiment though.
• It is recommended that you use clear mediums wherever possible and then paint or mold any daytime colors underneath or behind of the glow layer as a base coat. If you use a medium other than clear, test it thoroughly with a small sample first. Here are some ideas for the mediums you could use the powder in:
Clear paint base
Polyester resin
Acrylic resin
Paraffin
Amino resins
Glues
Wax
Ceramics
Cement
Glaze
Varnish
Nail polish
Hair gel
Caulking
Acrylic/gel nails
Glass
Rubber
Plastics
White paint base
Application & Storage notes:
A) Most photoluminescent pigments are soluble in water and decomposed in acid, so they can`t be used in water-base and acid-base mediums before encapsulation. Encapsulated photoluminescent powder is available on request. B) Mix pigment well before using in terms of its gravity
C) Keep pigments in breezy, dry warehouse and keep it free from humidity. D) Metal materials have an influence on luminosity of photoluminescent pigments, so prevent pigment from touching metal material. E) Keep in mind any medium containing UV filters are designed to block UV light from passing through. These filters also delay the ability of the powder to charge. The degree to which the after glow and charge time are affected will depend on the type and quantity of the additive. You will want to either eradicate the use of filters or experiment with the brightness and charge times of the medium you choose compared with the raw glow powder. F) Powder in acrylic, polyester, polypropylene, epoxy, PVC, polyethylene (HDPE, LDPE etc) polymers can be extruded, moulded, dipped and cast. How much powder do I use in a medium? To a certain extent, this depends on the glow effect you want and the application and may require a bit of experimenting. More powder in the medium will create a brighter, longer lasting glow. However, you may get the same effect with less ratio but multiple applications. Consider though that too much powder can effect some properties of the medium, such as paints that won’t stick or settling of the powder. The following ratios will provide a starting point from which you can proceed. Liquid Mediums in Large Quantities
1 kilogram of glow in the dark powder to 5 liters of medium
Liquid Mediums in Small Quantities
500gm of glow in the dark powder to 1 kg of medium
Dry Mediums
Add 15% glow in the dark powder by volume to the medium
Are there different glow times and intensity of glow? Colour: Green glow powder is the brightest and aqua glows the longest. Blue is close behind. Other colours you may see available are violet, red, orange, yellow and pink. These products use the zinc sulfide substance and have a significantly shorter glow time of 30mins to 4 hours. Day colours for our powders are near white or cream. Particle size: The larger particle sizes will glow darker but are also a bit grainier in the medium. For their size, glow particles are relatively heavy. In thin to medium liquids they will sink. You may also see an inconsistency in the spread of glow. Thicker mediums provide more support to the particles so don’t have the same problem. To rectify this you can ensure you stir the medium every so often during and prior to application. You can also choose a medium with a heavy duty suspension base. This creates a microscopic webbing effect that supports the particles from sinking. Think Clear! Let’s reiterate the conditions in which glow in the dark substances work best.
1. Any pigment or colour in your medium will reduce the glow effect. Use clear mediums where possible or at the most, a white base.
2. Use the substance where it is going to be exposed to any source of light. In a broom cupboard that only gets opened once a day probably won’t be enough.
3. If there is a light source nearby when it is dark, the glow effect will be reduced. Complete darkness provides the best atmosphere for a brighter glow.
4. Colour of the powder and particle size also generate different glows (refer to below table)
5. Metal and water should be avoided as they will reduce the glow effect. Once the powder is embedded in a medium though, application on metal or in water is fine. For example, impregnate the powder in resin to create pebbles and you can use them in your fish tank. Are larger quantities available? Absolutely! The below table provides
a cost of the different quantities available. Larger quantities are available and prices will be quoted on enquiry.
