×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Plastic for UVC Rays

Plastic for UVC Rays

Plastic for UVC Rays

(OP)
Hi all,

New to this forum which I ran across while researching plastics for a product that my company manufactures. This is a cylinder that produces low levels of ozone using a UV light.

I am looking for a plastic that can handle the following:

1. UV output of 254nm (about 85%) and 185nm (about 15%).
2. Ozone resistant.

Through my research, I was originally leaning towards UV Stabilized ABS. Which after reading through this forum I came to the conclusion the the rubber in ABS will cause the plastic to become brittle and crack. In one of the threads (www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=281459) it was recommended to use ASA (Luran S 778T). After doing some research and talking to BASF I was told that ASA has not been tested for our UV output. So, my question is does anybody here have experience with ASA for this type of application? Can you recommend me a material that will work? I know Kynar will work, but it is cost prohibitive.

Thank you in advance.

RE: Plastic for UVC Rays

Hello, it was probably me that recommended the ASA. I don't know who you spoke to at BASF / Styrolution but they have sold ASA for over 25 years specifically because it's great against UV light i.e. sunlight. It's used on house sidings because it's more resistant that PVC and it's used in external car parts like radiator grills. ASA is one good choice. PMMA is another one that's used outdoors in sunlight. There are books on this topic and you can find quite a lot online but look to what has been used for decades outdoors.

Because the conditions you specified are unusual you will have to do testing on the material you choose. Try buying some ozone generators from well respected companies and then have the plastic analyzed to see what the plastic is and what stabilizers they added to protect it.

Dr. Chris DeArmitt

Plastics consultant to the Fortune 500: www.phantomplastics.com

Webinars on plastics, fillers & impact modification: www.plastictraining.com

RE: Plastic for UVC Rays

Are you wanting UV resistance to exposure or transmission through it?

www.tynevalleyplastics.co.uk

It's ok to soar like an eagle, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

RE: Plastic for UVC Rays

(OP)
I am looking for resistance to exposure.

We used to have this molded out of Black CPVC. However, we have been told that Black CPVC is no longer available and CPVC in general is being phased out.

RE: Plastic for UVC Rays

Nylon (all types) with a UV additive is pretty good. Black pigment using activated carbon instead of lamp black gives additional protection.

www.tynevalleyplastics.co.uk

It's ok to soar like an eagle, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

RE: Plastic for UVC Rays

Oh, and as Chris mentioned, ASA is also a good choice - no tool change required as shrinkage around the same as CPVC.

www.tynevalleyplastics.co.uk

It's ok to soar like an eagle, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources