×
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

Fluorescent Tracer Particles Under Black Light

Fluorescent Tracer Particles Under Black Light

Fluorescent Tracer Particles Under Black Light

(OP)
Hi all,

Pretty sure this isn’t the most suitable forum for this question but so far, my best bet for an answer.
So I’ll just try to explain what is the final goal, because I’m not entirely sure what I should be looking for.

We are trying to follow a stream of nebulized liquid through a transparent model representing the human upper airway tree.
The idea is to "flood" the model with “black light” and use a solution of the liquid with a fluorescent dye or tracer particles, of some sort, so that only the nebulized stream will be visible.

I was hoping to find something that is non-toxic and preferably bio-compatible, so if anyone can nudge me in the right direction, that would be great!
(I’m searching the web for an answer in parallel to this thread)

RE: Fluorescent Tracer Particles Under Black Light

the dye is fluorescein, there is even an injectable version.
It fluoresces nicely,

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube

RE: Fluorescent Tracer Particles Under Black Light

(OP)
We have the stuff at the lab, but from the specs of the fluorescein it fluoresces best at 495nm light which is in the visible spectrum.
As the mist of the nebulized liquid is very fine, "flooding" the model with visible light will impair our ability to see the stream (my assumption), this is why I'm looking for something that might work under the "Blacklight" spectrum.

RE: Fluorescent Tracer Particles Under Black Light

Call one of the suppliers of inspection products and ask about florescent penetrant products.
I have used flourescein for inspection inside of food processing tanks. I used standard black lights and got very good visibility.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube

RE: Fluorescent Tracer Particles Under Black Light

UV light and aqueous riboflavin solution are a combo I've used.

RE: Fluorescent Tracer Particles Under Black Light

(OP)

Quote (EdStainless)

Call one of the suppliers of inspection products and ask about florescent penetrant products.
I have used flourescein for inspection inside of food processing tanks. I used standard black lights and got very good visibility.

Quote (jari001)

UV light and aqueous riboflavin solution are a combo I've used.
Do you remember the wave length of the black light?

I've checked on wikipedia for the wave length for optimal emission, but in case i wouldn't find the correct lamp...

RE: Fluorescent Tracer Particles Under Black Light

I used a generic hand held FPI lamp.
We used flourescien because it was food grade (actually injectable) and if we left traces in the tank there would't be contamination issues (unless you are worried that your beer glows).

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube

RE: Fluorescent Tracer Particles Under Black Light

Fluorescein absorbs strongly in the near ultraviolet, so you can use a visible filtered UV lamp (i.e. a "blacklight"). The only light you will see is the green light emitted by fluoresecense from the fluorescein-doped particles.

If there is a mist, however, you may still not be able to see anything, not due to wavelengths but due to scattering.

RE: Fluorescent Tracer Particles Under Black Light

I tend to agree with moltenmetal, you likely won't be able to see the nebulized stream because the bubbles will be too small.

Just in case -
The lamp I used was something like the following:
https://www.uv-light.co.uk/blacklight/hand-held/35...

I don't have access to the instrument anymore to dig up it's spec sheet but what I remember is that the lamps match with some of the local maxima of the absorption spectra in the 400nm range.

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