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What is luminous
paint?
l u m i n o u s p a i n t i s a k i n d o f p a i n t t h a t
g i v e s o ff v i s i b l e l i g h t a n d t h a t g l o ws
i n t h e d a r k . . . .
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Where can we apply
luminous paint?
T h e p a i n t s h o u l d b e a p p l i e d o n
s u r f a c e wh i c h a r e f r e e f r o m
c o r r o s i o n o r a n y o t h e r l e a d
p a i n t .
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What makes luminous
paint glow?
L u m i n o u s p a i n t , p a i n t t h a t g l o ws i n
t h e d a r k b e c a u s e i t c o n t a i n s a
p h o s p h o r, a s u b s t a n c e t h a t e m i t s
l i g h t f o r a c e r t a i n l e n g t h o f t i m e a f t e r
e x p o s u r e t o a n e n e r g y s o u r c e , s u c h
a s u l t r a v i o l e t r a d i a t i o n . Z i n c s u l f i d e
a n d c a l c i u m s u l f i d e a r e s u c h
p h o s p h o r s
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How long does
luminous paint
last?
1 2 h o u r s
T h e m e c h a n i s m f o r p r o d u c i n g l i g h t i s
s i m i l a r t o t h a t o f f l u o r e s c e n t p a i n t ,
b u t t h e e m i s s i o n o f v i s i b l e l i g h t
p e r s i s t s l o n g a f t e r i t h a s b e e n
e x p o s e d t o l i g h t . P h o s p h o r e s c e n t
p a i n t s h a v e a s u s t a i n e d g l o w wh i c h
l a s t s f o r u p t o 1 2 h o u r s a f t e r
e x p o s u r e t o l i g h t , f a d i n g o v e r t i m e
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Fluorescent
Paint
• Fluorescent paints offer a wide range of
pigments and chroma which also ‘glow’ when
exposed to the long wave “ultraviolet”
frequencies. These UV frequencies are found in
sunlight and some artificial lights.
• In fluorescence the visible light component -
sometimes known as “white light”- tends to be
reflected and perceived normally, as colour; while
the UV component of light is modified, ‘stepped
down’ energetically into longer wavelengths,
producing additional visible light frequencies,
which are then emitted alongside the reflected
white light.
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Phosphorescent
Paint
Phosphorescent paint is commonly called “glow-
inthe- dark” paint. It is made from phosphors such
as silver-activated zinc sulfide or doped strontium
aluminate, and typically glows a pale green to
greenish-blue color. The mechanism for producing
light is similar to that of fluorescent paint, but the
emission of visible light persists long after it has
been exposed to light. Phosphorescent paints have
a sustained glow which lasts for up to 12 hours
after exposure to light, fading over time.
This type of paint has been used to mark escape
paths in aircraft and for decorative use such as
“stars” applied to walls and ceilings. It is an
alternative to radioluminescent paint.
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Radioluminescent
Paint
Radioluminescent paint was invented in 1908 by
Sabin Arnold von Sochocky and originally
incorporated radium-226. Radium is a radiological
hazard, emitting gamma rays that can penetrate a
glass watch dial and into human tissue. During the
1920s and 1930s, the harmful effects of this paint
became increasingly clear. A notorious case
involved the “Radium Girls”, a group of women who
painted watch faces and later suffered adverse
health effects from ingestion. In 1928, Dr von
Sochocky himself died of aplastic anemia as a
result of radiation exposure
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Radioluminescent
Paint
Radium was banned from this use decades ago by
international law, but the thousands of legacy
radium dials still owned by the public can be a
dangerous source of radioactive contamination. The
phosphor degrades relatively fast and the dials lose
luminosity in several years to a few decades; clocks
and other devices available from antique shops and
other sources therefore are not luminous anymore.
However, due to the long 1600-year half-life of the
Ra-226 isotope they are still radioactive
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Light reflective
paint
Light Reflective paints reflect the incident light
resulting in the glowing effect. These paints start to
glow when they get exposed to a light ray. Light
reflective effect is extremely important when
performing road or area marking, producing street
signs because it significantly increases the safety
level of road users. Reflective paint is inorganic and
produced in 4 different kinds. It also has high light
output ratio
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1.Choose a
glow in the
dark powder.
The powders come in a variety of colors and particle sizes. Larger particles
are brighter, but also make a rougher paint which can create a speckled look.
Smaller particles create a smoother paint, but don't glow as brightly.
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2.Choose a
paint medium.
This will be the actual paint that you mix into the phosphorescent powder. If
you want your paint to be invisible in light, choose a clear paint, such as an
acrylic gel. If you want to see the paint in the light, choose an acrylic or
tempera paint in a color you like.
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4.Pour paint
into the bowl.
Gradually pour your paint medium over the powder in your bowl. Carefully stir
the mixture. You can add more paint to achieve a thinner consistency.The
powder will not dissolve in the paint, so just stir until the mixture is combined
and no lumps remain
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5. Use your
paint.
Most glow in the dark paints should be used immediately. Depending on your
powder/medium combination, your new mix may or may not have shelf life.
Therefore only mix what you can use within an hour.
If you do want to store your paint, pour it into a sealable container and be
sure to stir it well before using it again
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