Please select from
the list below or the links on the right.
Uses of
Blacklights
(Long Wavelength Ultraviolet
Lights)
Black lights produce Long wave
Ultra Violet, or UV (320 nm - 400 nm). Many materials fluoresce under
ultraviolet lighting producing colors or light that our eyes can see, and making
things that might go undetected visible to us.
Blacklight fluorescent inspection processes make jobs easier for document
inspectors, quality control engineers, forensic scientists, fire officers and
auction houses to name but a few. With UV blacklight, hairline cracks can be
detected in aircraft undercarriages, automotive steering systems and
many other life-critical components. |
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In the field of forensics UV blacklight helps unearth
vital evidence at crime scenes and plays an important role in identifying the
cause of fires. Inspection of works of art under UV blacklight can reveal
imperfections and evidences of restoration and repairs to art, pottery, glass
and detecting old from reproduction -- an important aspect of authentication for
valuation and sale.
Most commonly available blacklights emit Ultra Violet light at a wavelength just
above the visible range. Typically, this is around 340 nm while the visible
range is roughly 400 nm to 700 nm. Blacklights produce fluorescence which is
kind of magical. You point one light at certain targets and totally different
colors appear. |
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One characteristic of fluorescence
is the intense, highly saturated colors that it produces making the object
appear to have pure colors.
Black light uses:
Note: Most blacklights that you purchase, such as our blacklight flashlight are
long wave, or UV-A, blacklights producing UV just above the visible range, or at
about 340nm. Shortwave blacklights can damage eyes and skin. See UV Definitions
for more.
Antique inspection
Black light testing is a common practice used to authenticate antiques, to
determine authenticity and the extent of repairs.
Blacklights are used in evaluating antiques because the ultraviolet rays they
produce react differently to different materials. Because of this interesting
characteristic, things that are invisible to the naked eye become visible under
the blacklight.
Different chemical properties become apparent under a blacklight, modern paint
will fluoresce or glow under a black light, older paints will not, you can use
this to determine whether a painted object is an antique or a newer reproduction
as well as to determine whether a piece has been "touched up" and if so, how
extensive was the repair. The same technique can be used to detect repairs on
antique porcelain as the old finish will not glow under a blacklight, and the
newer material in the repair will. |
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Some antique glassware will glow under the blacklight as well, Vaseline glass
will glow because it contains uranium oxide.
A blacklight can be used to test many types of antiques. Here are some examples:
Cut Glass: Authentic American Brilliant period cut glass fluoresces yellow;
reproductions have no reaction or show a blue-white. You should pre-test to gain
experience and remember the blacklight is just another tool to use in
determination of authenticity. Cast Iron: Most new paint on most new cast iron
fluoresces; old paint on old cast iron rarely fluoresces. You can also detect
newly painted repairs as well.
Art inspection
Entire books are written about UV blacklights for art inspections. This is just
a brief synopsis.
In works of art, modern paint will fluoresce or glow under a black light, older
paints will not. Thus, pictures that have been "touched up" with modern paint
will glow.
Repairs or hairline cracks may show and become more apparent under blacklight.
Paper Products: Most paper products--like post cards, books, signs, photos
papers, etc.--made before the late 1930s-WW2 era rarely fluorescent. Paper
products made since 1950, however generally fluoresce brightly due to large
amounts of chemical bleaches and dyes.
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Pattern Glass: Nearly all American colorless pressed glass made before ca.
1925-30 fluoresce yellow; reproductions generally do not have any fluorescence.
Detecting some
bacteria
Some bacteria fluoresce under UV blacklight. Fluorescent bacteria
include some strains of Salmonella and Shigella.
Bacteria may also be genetically
modified to become fluorescent. This may be achieved by introduction of
a gene that produces green fluorescent proteins. Fluorescence will make
it possible to monitor growth and trace the distribution of bacteria in
different environments. |
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Club hand stamp screening
Hand stamps in UV light are a good way to check if people are approved for night
club or party entry. Visible stamps are easily duplicated or transferred, but UV
stamps are much harder to work around.
Fabric and Textiles
Textiles: Thread and Cloth: Synthetic fibers--rayon, polyester, etc. made since
WW2 all fluoresce. This allows you to detect new military uniforms, new quilts,
new doll clothes, etc. Even if old fabric is used to repair an old quilt, the
new thread will fluoresce. A quilt from 1800 is less likely to fluoresce, while
a quilt made in the last decade probably will. Mass produced laundry detergents
from the current and past decades have contained additives that make your
laundry whiter and brighter. These additives can make textiles fluoresce under a
black light, which would lead a person to believe an antique quilt/textile,
washed in these detergents, was newly made. And while many newly made fabrics
and threads do fluoresce, there are also fabrics and threads whose manufacture
do not cause it to fluoresce.
Man-made fibers available in the Depression era can be found in all sorts of
vintage quilts from that era. They are very collectible, and the use of fiber
content to label them new is poor information for the novice collector.
A collector must learn their textile field and be knowledgeable. While
blacklight helps in loose fiber detection, it is not the best way to confirm a
textile's age.
Fluorescent dye leaks;
Automotive air conditioners, coolant, oil and other liquid systems can be tested
by addition of a small amount of fluorescent dye. The leaking spots will later
fluoresce under UV light or blacklight. |
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Forgery Detection
From money to artwork, fakes and forgeries often look different under blacklight.
Bank notes also incorporate fluorescent dyes, which glow under exposure to UV
illumination. To enable fluorescence, dye is infused with luminescent solids
that give off a specific colored glow under UV light. Many business owners keep a blacklight
behind the counter to check bills for the standard markings which are
designed to glow under UV. Artworks that are touched up to look matched
in color to the naked eye will often show stark differences in
fluorescence due to changes in paint. UV can allow you to see many of these
otherwise hidden details. |
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The color and location of the
security thread in US dollar bills are unique to the the value of the bill.
Click here to see the location of security
thread in different bills.
Glass and glass repair inspection;
Art Glass: Lalique before 1945 fluoresces yellow; after 1945, it does not.
Genuine old Burmese fluoresces bright yellow green, new reproductions do not.
Porcelain: Hard paste porcelain will fluoresce a deep blue or purple color. Soft
paste will fluoresce white.
ID and document Verification;
Alterations and lack of intentional features that were put in only the approved
documents can show up well under UV lighting.
Mineral lighting and identification
Some minerals display what is called the phenomenon of photoluminescence. This
just means that they "glow" when exposed to UV light (black light or blacklight).
Some of the minerals that produce distinct color lights under UV
radiation include Opal, Fluorite, Calcit, Dolomit, Willemit,
Apatit and Quartz. |
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You may use either the UV light
fixture or portable UV light for minerals.
Party fun for posters
Blacklights are great for looking at cool posters and fluorescent objects!
UV light fixtures are installed on the ceiling. In this way the room is
dark and light radiant posters seem to be the only source of visible
light. |
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The
UV18F1 high wavelength UV lamps have a fixture that may be mounted
in two different orientations. They are painted black so they will blend
with the rest of dark areas. So the only light source will seem to be
the fluorescent posters or objects.
(Check the price) |
Pet and pest stains
Have pet odors problem in your home,
they're probably hidden in places you can't see. Use the UV light to check in corners, under beds and behind
furniture to help you locate the hidden sources of odor regular cleaning might
miss. |
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Portable blacklight (UV light) is the
perfect choice for detecting urine, feces and other biological
contaminants. In a dark room you may detect many contaminations using
the portable black light.
(Check the price and availability) |
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Psoriasis
Blacklights are used to help effects of Psoriasis, and UV light is used in many
medical treatments. UV is at the upper end of full spectrum visible light which
appears to help in treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Vitamin D is
produced when your skin is bathed in UV light, and exposure to UV helps the body
absorb calcium and research projects in the world of medicine. Recent medical
developments include fluorescent dyes used in conjunction with blacklight to
identify cancerous cells in the internal organs of patients.
Reading invisible fluorescent inks
Great fun! More reliable than writing in lemon juice and heating the paper,
fluorescent pens allow writing invisibly and then reading the message later. Or
even better, write the message with a UV Pen to see it glow as you go!
Scorpion illumination
Scorpions easily camouflage with their
natural environment and they are hard to see. Blacklight flashlights are
used by some people to find scorpions, particularly outdoors at night. |
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Some scorpion species show up as a
bright green in UV light and can be found more easily with the
blacklight. Particularly used in warm dry US states. It is interesting
to note that a deep red light, which is on the other side of the visible
range from ultraviolet, is used when catching nightcrawlers at night
since they are sensitive to other colors. |
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More about Ultraviolet (UV Definition)
Ultra Violet (UV) light is light at a higher frequency than visible light. The
range for UV extends from the blue end of the visible (400nm) to the x-ray
region (100nm). There are three distinct wavelength regions described as either
UV-A, UV-B or UV-C in increasing order of photon energy.
UV-A 400nm-315nm: Often referred to as 'blacklight', this is the longest and
safest wavelength region and lowest energy, it represents the largest portion of
natural UV light.
UV-B 315nm-280nm: Partially blocked by the ozone layer this is the most
aggressive component of natural UV light and largely responsible for sunburn (erythema).
UV-C 280nm-100nm: Only generally encountered from artificial light sources since
it is totally absorbed by the earth's atmosphere.
Chemicals that fluoresce when radiated with
"black" light include: chlorophyll, quinine, eosin (a dye used in medical
examinations), "day-glow" paints, blood, urine, semen, Vitamin A and the B
vitamins thiamine, niacin, and riboflavin, many inks including those used on
postage stamps, common components of paints, fabric and plastics such as
stabilizers and antioxidants, and most hydrocarbon-based fluids used in metal
finishing operations.
What these lights will not do: Longwave UV blacklights will generally not give
severe sunburns or erase EPROMS. They may help detect but will not kill germs
and bacteria.
Blacklights are Great for use in Hotels, Motels, Nursing Homes, for Enforcement,
Day Care Centers, Schools & Universities, Hospitals, Rehab Centers, Medical
Offices, Restaurants, Food Processing Plants, Pharmaceutical & Electronics
Manufacturing, Clean Rooms Operations
...and around your home: At Home Sanitation, Sanitary Inspection, Bacterial
Detection, Pet Stains, & Lice Detection.
Distributors of scientific and educational products
Where to buy?
Most pictures are linked to
the pricing and online store for fast and convenient ordering
Our products are available at the following
online stores. For large orders please call in advance and verify the
availability, wholesale discounts and shipping options. If you cannot find any
product in the online store of your choice, please use the search option of the
store or call (973)777-3113 for further assistance.
All orders will be shipped from our
warehouse in United States (USA). We ship worldwide
to most countries including U.S., Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, New
Zealand, Germany, France, Netherlands, and many other countries.
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