One of the innovations for night and all-weather flying used by the US, UK, Japan and Germany during World War II was the use of UV interior lighting to illuminate the instrument panel, giving a safer alternative to the radium-painted instrument faces and pointers, and an intensity that could be varied easily and without visible illumination that would give away an aircraft's position. This went so far as to include the printing of charts that were marked in UV-fluorescent inks, and the provision of UV-visible pencils and slide rules such as the E6B. Wood's lamp is useful in diagnosing conditions such as tuberous sclerosis [22] and erythrasma (caused by Corynebacterium minutissimum, see above). [23] Additionally, detection of porphyria cutanea tarda can sometimes be made when urine turns pink upon illumination with Wood's lamp. [24] Wood's lamps have also been used to differentiate hypopigmentation from depigmentation such as with vitiligo. A vitiligo patient's skin will appear yellow-green or blue under the Wood's lamp. [ citation needed] Its use in detecting melanoma has been reported. [25] See also [ edit ] They emit a mixture of ultraviolet and visible light and will appear to glow a luminous blue colour when operating. a b c d e f Simpson, Robert S. (2003). Lighting Control: Technology and Applications. Taylor & Francis. p.125. ISBN 978-0-240-51566-3. Archived from the original on 2013-05-27.

However, fluorescent UV light is still deemed to be the very best, even better than the LED version as the slightly lower wavelengths cause the objects to fluoresce more dramatically. All electromagnetic waves are measured in metres, but some wavelengths (like UV) are so small that they’re measured in nanometres (nm). You will often see product descriptions on Lightbulbs Direct reference the ‘nm’ range of the lamp because it directly affects what type of light bulb it is. Again, ensure these ultra violet light bulbs are handled and disposed of with care. Here’s that link again with more information about the safe handling and disposal of light bulbs. Finally, when choosing a UV light fixture, you should know that they can come in a variety of shapes and forms. Below, we've listed several examples and situations where they could be useful.

LED-Ready T8 Fixtures

However, there are some reasons you may want to choose another wavelength. For UV LEDs, the general rule is that the shorter the wavelength, the higher the price. 395 nm UV LEDs, for example, are a common and relatively affordable option that provides decent levels of fluorescence at a more affordable price point.

UV light can be used to harden particular glues, resins and inks by causing a photochemical reaction inside those substances. This process of hardening is called ‘curing’. UV curing is adaptable to printing, coating, decorating, stereolithography, and in the assembly of a variety of products and materials. In comparison to other technologies, curing with UV energy may be considered a low-temperature process, a high-speed process, and is a solventless process, as cure occurs via direct polymerization rather than by evaporation. Originally introduced in the 1960s, this technology has streamlined and increased automation in many industries in the manufacturing sector. A primary advantage of curing with ultraviolet light is the speed at which a material can be processed. Speeding up the curing or drying step in a process can reduce flaws and errors by decreasing time that an ink or coating spends wet. This can increase the quality of a finished item, and potentially allow for greater consistency. Another benefit to decreasing manufacturing time is that less space needs to be devoted to storing items which can not be used until the drying step is finished. Fluorescent: Comes with various lamp base sizes for regular lamp holders as well as in tube form. Reasonably power efficient with a long lifespan. Zeman, Gary (2009). "Ultraviolet Radiation". Health Physics Society. Archived from the original on 2010-01-13. Osram". Photocopy and UV Emitting Phosphors / Lighting Components. Sylvania. Archived from the original on 2008-01-10 – via Archive.org. Cole, Curtis; Forbes, P. Donald; Davies, Ronald E. (1986). "An Action Spectrum for UV Photocacinogenesis". Photochem Photobiol. 43 (3): 275–284. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-1097.1986.tb05605.x. PMID 3703962. S2CID 29022446.Bili light. A type of phototherapy that uses blue light with a range of 420–470 nm, used to treat neonatal jaundice. These lamps have the shortest UV wavelengths (between 200-280nm) and as a result are potentially the most harmful. Accordingly, extra care should be taken when handling and using these types of UV lights. Miller, Larry S.; McEvoy Jr., Richard T. (2010). Police Photography (6thed.). Elsevier. p.202. ISBN 978-1-4377-5581-7. Archived from the original on 2013-05-26. Mike Phillips (2007-09-25). "Eikone.com". Eikone.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-06 . Retrieved 2011-11-08.

while the phosphor used to produce a peak around 350 to 353nanometres is lead-doped barium silicate ( BaSi Have you ever been to a night club, halloween party, or disco and been amazed by how the white colors of people’s clothing stands out looking incredible – unnatural even? Because UV energy has unique interactions with many different materials, UV curing allows for the creation of products with characteristics not achievable via other means. This has led to UV curing becoming fundamental in many fields of manufacturing and technology, where changes in strength, hardness, durability, chemical resistance, and many other properties are required. For most basic applications, 1 watt of UV light energy output is sufficient to create strong fluorescence effects over a 100 sq ft area. For a 200 sq ft area, simply multiply the target UV levels by 2x for an estimated 2 watts of UV light energy needed.These are each meant for very different uses and, in the case of germicidal lights particularly, could be hazardous to your health if mixed up. With that in mind, we’ve put together a handy guide to help you determine which UV light bulb is the right one for you. When buying Ultraviolet light bulbs, it’s important to know which type of light bulb is the right one for your needs. A Wood's lamp may be used to rapidly assess whether an individual is suffering from ethylene glycol poisoning as a consequence of antifreeze ingestion. Manufacturers of ethylene glycol-containing antifreezes commonly add fluorescein, which causes the patient's urine to fluoresce under Wood's lamp. [21] Other [ edit ] These lamps are used mainly for theatrical purposes and concert displays. They are more efficient UVA producers per unit of power consumption than fluorescent tubes. Hemady, N.; Noble, C. (2007). "Photo Quiz — An infant with a hypopigmented macule". Am Fam Physician. 75 (7): 1053–4. PMID 17427621. Archived from the original on 2008-08-28.