Black Light Bulbs

UV Light Bulbs

admin — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 17:25:40 +0000

Perhaps the most useful type of fluorescent lamps in terms of its application to medicine is the UV light bulbs or ultraviolet light bulbs. In medicine, UV light is effectively used in phototherapy or light therapy. Patients are exposed to the UV light in a period of time depending on the dose necessary for treatment. It is used primarily in treating skin problems such as acne vulgaris.

Ultraviolet light is not visible to the naked eye. It surpasses the purple range of what the human eye is capable of detecting. The visible spectrum is from red to violet while those below and above this range are either ultraviolet or infrared. The ultraviolet spectrum or range is divided into UVA, UVB and UVC. These are wavelength classifications between 100-400 nanometers which is the full range of the UV spectrum. UVA which is 315-400 nm is effective as insect traps, phototherapy, blacklight, stage effects and in sun tanning. The UVB has a wavelength of 280-360 nm which causes sun burns. It is also used in inspection, analysis and phototherapy. The UVC range is germicidal at 253.7 nm and ozone producing at 185 nm.

The UV-A Blacklight bulbs are UV light bulbs that allow only the benign long wave UVA ray to pass through its “black” glass tube coated in a special type of phosphor. It blocks almost all visible light and absorbs the harmful UVB and UVC lights.

UV light bulbs which emit the UVB light are used in skin phototherapy, tests or inspections of the ultraviolet resistance of materials such as in thermoplastics and other types of plastics. They are also used in scientific analysis.

Germicidal bulbs are UV-C bulbs that are used in material and surface purification as well as in air and water purification. These lamps contain no phosphor making them technically, as discharge lamps. The ultraviolet light emitted by these lamps can kill germs by stimulating the breakdown of any microorganism as it removes their reproductive capabilities. They may also be used by scientists to identify certain minerals. Germicidal bulbs are often seen in kitchens especially of restaurants and other commercial establishments that sell food. They are also used in food conveyor purification, ink curing applications, aquacultural water treatment and wastewater treatment.

Prolonged exposure to UV light is a health hazard and should always be considered in the application of these lamps. UVA and UVB may cause premature aging while UVC causes skin and eye damage. The use of protective wear is of chief importance in dealing with these materials.

Full Spectrum Light Bulbs

admin — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 17:19:23 +0000

Full spectrum light bulbs are fluorescent light bulbs that emit light similar to the natural light that is beneficial for plant growth. It covers the electromagnetic wavelength of infrared to the near violet. The term “full spectrum” is a marketing term for lighting that imitates the features of sunlight.

Lighting industries use the CRI or Color Rendering Index to specify the bulb’s capacity to render colors in objects. Another important consideration in the identification of natural hues in objects is its own color temperature. A 90-100 index rating is the best imitation of the stimulating quality of natural sunlight.

There are some incandescent bulbs marketed under the term “full spectrum” even if they do not have the color temperature of 5000K, which is the temperature of the sun direct to the object at noon. However, they also filter out the common harsh yellow tint of standard incandescent bulbs. Bulbs that are inexpensive usually have a low color temperature and are labeled as “cool white.” These bulbs do not give off the same lighting quality that is most desirable in full spectrum light bulbs.

Artists generally use full spectrum light bulbs as they paint during the night. It assures the accurate appearance of natural hues on the canvass, which would also be the lighting texture in art galleries where the paintings would be displayed. Such lighting is also similar to art studios and homes that have north sunlight. The same is true for color scientists who match colors in paint stores that have no access to natural light. Since fluorescent lamps emit a small amount of ultraviolet rays which could affect valuable art work such as painting in watercolors, full-spectrum lighting is used to prevent such damage.

In gardening, light is essential for the plant’s photosynthesis which is crucial for its growth. Lighting fixtures such as full spectrum lamps ensures the adequate light exposure beneficial to plants all year-round.

In dealing with some health disorders, full spectrum light bulbs provide the necessary lighting for the treatment of seasonal affective disorder. Used in what is called light boxes, they replace the much needed environmental stimulus in ordinary sunlight for the regulation of the circadian cycles. This is of great importance in places during winter months that has less sunlight. Non-seasonal depression and a number of psychiatric disturbances such as bipolar disorder, postpartum depression and major depressive disorders, may also benefit from the natural light’s anti-depressive efficacy. Aside from improving mood, full spectrum lighting may also improve learning ability and behavior.

Fluorescent Light Bulbs

admin — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 17:13:37 +0000

When evening comes and the ultimate source of light during the day, the sun, brightens the other half of the globe, with just one switch another light comes – a lighting device. Artificial illumination or lighting has been seen as the best way to shelter humans from the dangers of the night. Its main use is illustrated in campfires, candles, oil-burning lamps, kerosene lamps, the incandescent lamp, and the most widely used fluorescent light bulbs.

Fluorescent light bulbs belong to the lighting device group of discharge tubes. The fluorescent light is an efficient light source which uses a mercury arc and a phosphor coating inside its tubes. These glass tubes are filled with the metal vapor which glows when it is ionized by the electrodes that passes at both ends of the tubes. Much of its energy is emitted in the ultraviolet range which is converted to visible light by the phosphor lining of the tubes. Depending on the phosphors used, a range of colors can be given off.

Production of fluorescent bulbs is more costly than its predecessor, the incandescent bulb because of its ballast requirement for stabilizing its flow of current. But this cost is paid off by its efficiency in reducing electric cost which is highly advantageous to most industrialized cities. Most countries in Southeast and East Asia the use of incandescent bulbs are a rare phenomenon especially for lighting its buildings. The use of the fluorescent lamp has dramatically increased with the advent of the compact fluorescent light bulbs or CFL. They come in many different shapes and sizes depending on the lighting fixture installed in the home or office.

Aside from its luminous efficacy, which is its ability to convert more visible light from a given power input, fluorescent lamps also reduce the energy consumption, size and cost of an air-conditioning equipment because it gives off less heat than incandescent lamps. Its longer lamp life also reduces the labor cost of frequently replacing old bulbs.

There are different subsets of fluorescent lamps, some of which are used for cosmetics and therapy. Black light lamps are used to generate near ultraviolet light which is then used to provoke fluorescence in materials that would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye. Tanning lamps which typically has 3-5 more phosphors discharges both UVA and UVB light which is responsible for the tanning response of the skin. Grow lamps, infrared lamps, Bilirubin lamps, germicidal lamps, electrodeless lamps, and Cold-cathode fluorescent lamps are among the other variants of fluorescent lamps.

Energy Saving Light Bulbs

admin — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 17:09:57 +0000

With growing concerns for the conservation of energy as reflected in financial terms in our day to day living the need for a cost-effective lighting is always necessary. The much more heat energy inefficient incandescent light bulb will be replaced in time by the fluorescent lamp, which has a better luminous efficacy. Because they maximize low power input into better lighting than an incandescent bulb with similar power input, these fluorescent lamps are labeled as energy saving light bulbs.

Energy saving light bulbs are more commonly known as compact fluorescent lamps or CFL. They are compact fluorescent tubes with a metal vapor inside usually mercury. Compared to the incandescent lamp which gives off heat in the heating of its filaments, the energy flows in fluorescent lamps are regulated by their ballasts that reduce the heat given off during the lighting process.

In terms of average lifespan, energy saving light bulbs are more cost effective because they could provide lighting from six thousand to fifteen thousand hours as opposed to the 750-1000 hours of lighting that an incandescent bulb produces.

CFLs come in different sizes and their shapes are designed to replace bulbs in any of your existing fixtures. The twin tube lamps are fit for lamps, ceiling and wall light, and task lights. The Quad tube lamps are shorter than the twin tube lamps but provide the same light output in equivalent wattage. They are better suited for smaller lamps. The Triple Biax lamps provide more light output in a short bulb. They are fit for table lamps as they take up a much smaller space. Spiral lamps, F-lamps and circular lamps are also available in different sizes.

Care and proper handling of CFLs include the timing of its switch on and off mechanism. CFLs heat longer and require more time to reach its optimum light. Switching them on and off in less than five minutes within the given cycle may reduce its life by about 85%. Place your CFLs in indoor fixtures that could allow ventilation because these lamps are very sensitive to high temperatures. If they are used in enclosed fixtures, they can reduce their lifespan by the hot environment that they have created.

Since all fluorescent lights have a small amount of mercury, burned out or broken bulbs must be disposed properly. There are existing recycling centers for light bulbs which could take care of the disposal and recycling of the contents of your old light bulbs. You may just have to find one nearest to you.

Most importantly, in choosing your compact fluorescent light bulb, look out for the Energy Star label, this is the official license of government-backed programs for energy efficiency.

Black Light Bulbs

admin — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 16:39:40 +0000

Ever wonder why some materials glow in the dark and some do not? Most materials that glow in the dark have phosphors. These are any of the known substances that emit visible light triggered during radiation. They convert the black light from the energy in some sort of UV radiation into the known visible light.

Black light bulbs are another classification of fluorescent bulbs that have one phosphor element inside its dark glass envelope coated with nickel oxide. This dark envelope is called Wood’s glass which is effective in blocking the wavelength of most visible lights. Black light blue bulbs are lamps that have normal glass envelopes treated with a thin layer of a certain UV filtering substance coated in their exterior. Their designs usually range from a single tube, twin tube, spiral, and common incandescent bulb. Lamps that do not have filtering material applied in their glass envelopes are called bug zappers.

Common black light bulbs absorb UVB and UVC through the phosphor coating of its glass tube. Only UVA light could pass through its black glass tube. Similar to the ordinary household light bulbs, incandescent black light bulbs use filters to absorb the light emitted from its heated filament. In both tube and incandescent-type black light bulbs, the UV lights emitted react to the external phosphors which would glow provided that the UV light is directed to them.

Aside from making fluorescent posters and people look “cool,” black light bulbs are used for practical functions. Analysis of crime scenes by forensic scientists through distinguishing fingerprints is made easy by the fluorescent dye in the dust which would glow using the black light. Bodily fluids such as urine and semen can also be identified under the black light. In machineries, repairmen may also employ fluorescent dye to detect invisible leaks.

Counterfeit money and forgeries of antiques may also be identified under the black light. Many countries insert invisible fluorescent strips in their bills which could not be copied by those who produce counterfeit bills. Phosphors which are highly present in modern paints will also indicate false antiques because older paints would not contain them.

Black lights are also used mostly for artistic and decorative lighting effects. Halloween decorations would pale without the much needed horrific effect of black lighting. Nightclubs would also be unappealing without the flashy cool lighting. Try walking down the busy avenues of the city and you might just be surprised of the many different ways that black light have given color to luminous materials that would not have been appreciated in clear day light.