Ultraviolet light bulbs emit more UV light than other bulbs and are used in various industries, including curing coatings, tanning beds, sterilization, and bug zappers. They are made with specialized glass and can appear purple or violet.
Ultraviolet light bulbs are light bulbs similar to other incandescent light bulbs that produce higher amounts of ultraviolet (UV) light than other light bulbs. These bulbs can be used in a number of different industries and fields, from plastics and papers that are cured with UV light to tanning beds, zappers and even microbial sterilisation. Less effective versions of UV bulbs can also be made by using standard incandescent bulbs and altering the glass of the bulb to filter out more non-UV light. Ultraviolet bulbs are typically specialized bulbs, however, which often have a treated glass to further increase the bulb’s UV output.
Also sometimes called blacklights or blue “blacklight” bulbs, ultraviolet light bulbs can be used for a number of different industrial, commercial, and residential purposes. High quality ultraviolet light bulbs are usually made using mercury vapor lamps or specially designed light emitting diodes. These bulbs emit light like other incandescent bulbs, but tend to emit more light in the ultraviolet range, which has a short wavelength that cannot be perceived by the human eye. UV bulbs are therefore typically manufactured using a glass called Wood’s Glass developed by Robert Wood, an American inventor working in the early 20th century.
This glass allows UV light to escape from the bulb but doesn’t tend to emit much other visible light, resulting in a bulb and light that appears purple or violet, often referred to as “black light.” Ultraviolet light bulbs used in commercial and industrial applications often use this type of glass, although it is quite expensive, so many UV light bulbs use specially made incandescent filaments to save cost. These bulbs don’t produce as much UV light, however, so they’re typically much hotter than higher-quality ultraviolet bulbs and have a shorter lifespan.
Industrial applications for ultraviolet light bulbs typically include the use of UV light to cure UV coatings on paper, glass, plastics, and other materials. These coatings are applied to the material and UV light is used to cure the coating into a stable solid state. This can be done for a variety of reasons, including coated paper that fluoresces under UV light, increasing UV protection in sunglasses, and putting marks on materials, such as money or credit cards, which can only be seen under UV light.
Ultraviolet bulbs are also often used in other commercial applications, such as for tanning beds and sterilization. Medical or biological research facilities often use intense UV light to ensure that microbes and bacteria are rendered harmless on equipment; many food processors and restaurants also use UV light to increase food safety. Forensic investigators often use UV lights to search crime scenes for blood or other bodily fluids that may have been cleaned up but still remain in ways not easily seen by human eyes. Lamps that attract and kill bugs, often called bug zappers, typically also use UV bulbs, since bugs are attracted to UV light.
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