Uses for Blacklights and Portable Blacklight Flashlights
Black lights produce Ultra Violet, or UV. 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.
Fluorescence happens when electrons are bumped from normal levels to higher orbital levels by absorbtion of high energy photons -- such as those produced by an ultraviolight light -- and subsequently jump back down to a metastable state below the higher level but not back to where they started. In time, the electrons will decay from this metastable state back to the ground or lowest level and in doing so will emit light that we can see.
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. 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.
Black lights can be helpful for the following:
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.
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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.
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.
Purchase.
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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 fluoresces. Paper products made since 1950, however generally fluoresces brightly due to large amounts of chemical bleaches and dyes.
Pattern Glass: Nearly all American colorless pressed glass made before ca. 1925-30 fluoresces yellow; reproductions
generally do not have any fluorescence.
Purchase.
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Inspection can be assisted by UV as some strains of Salmonella and Shigella, will metabolize MUG to produce 4-methylumbelliferone, which fluoresces under long wave ultraviolet light.
Purchase.
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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.
Purchase.
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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.
Purchase.
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Fluorescent dye leaks;
Automotive air conditioners, coolant, oil and other liquid systems can be tested by addition of a small amount of fluorescent dye. Leads on the dyes such as autobarn. Purchase the handy blacklight.
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From money to artwork, fakes and forgeries often look different under blacklight. 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.
Purchase.
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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.
Click to purchase.
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Alterations and lack of intentional features that were put in only the approved documents can show up well under UV lighting.
Purchase.
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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). Opal is an example of a mineral demonstrating
fluorescence. Also, the mineral Fluorite is often strongly
fluorescent - the similarity is not just a coincidence. Click to purchase.
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Blacklights are great for looking at cool posters, Blacklight Glow Paint and fluorescent objects!
Click to purchase.
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have problem pet odors in your home, they're probably hidden in places you can't see. Use the portable Stink Finder to check in corners, under beds and behind furniture to help you locate the hidden sources of odor regular cleaning might miss. The UV light will help to locate stains from urine, feces and other biological contaminants. Click to purchase.
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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. Click to purchase.
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In conjunction with Ultra Violet ink such as in the invisible ultraviolet ink pen, blacklights are used to make "invisible" markings on a range of products from paper through car doors! These marks allow positioning on surfaces without leaving an apparent mark. Click to purchase.
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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 blacklight to see it glow as you go!
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Blacklight flashlights are used be some folks to find scorpions, particularly outdoors at night. Some scorpion species show up in UV light and can be found more easily with the blacklight. Particularly used in warm dry US states. Click to purchase.
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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.
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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.
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