Re: Fluorescent lamp UV content

Standard cool-white warm-white tubes do not emit significant UV light - at
least for exposing alternative process media.

Black light(bL) and blacklight blue (BBL) tubes are commonly used to
expose alternative media.

It likely possible to prepare and handle most alternative process
materials under "standard" home and office type tubes without fogging the
material. But there are always exceptions. I wouldn't leave alternative
process materials exposed to flourescent lights over the long term though
- this would likely end up fogging the material.

Gord

On Tue, 16 Oct 2001, Murray wrote:

> As far as man-made lights go, fluorescent lamps are second only to the
> various discharge lamps (metal vapor, HID, etc) for UV production, and these
> are only exceeded by sunlight.
>
> Fluorescents produce UV in their internal arc, and the coating on the inside
> of the lamp absorbs the UV and creates visible light.
>
> UV-filter sleeves filter about 99% of the UV.I'm reluctant to say how much
> UV is in the spectrum of fluorescent lamps because I can't remember how it's
> specified, so ignoring units, I think it was in the few to several percent
> range...enough to cause long term fading of artwork and fabric, but I can't
> say how much for cyanotype.
>
> In general, fluorescent lamps should be considered a significant UV source.
>
> Murray
>
>
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---------------------------------------------------------
Gordon J. Holtslander Dept. of Biology
holtsg@duke.usask.ca 112 Science Place
http://duke.usask.ca/~holtsg University of Saskatchewan
Tel (306) 966-4433 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Fax (306) 966-4461 Canada S7N 5E2
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Received on Tue Oct 16 19:16:46 2001