Glow in the dark gloves are a great way to get kids involved with science and technology. These fun gloves are a fantastic addition to any night time play, black light party or glow in the dark event.
The fabric used to make these gloves is dyed with photoluminescent materials that emit visible light when energized or charged by a light source. Usually this is achieved by shining a UV light on the material, but some fabrics also use sunlight or fluorescent bulbs to charge. Once the glow has been activated, it lasts for a while, and fades slowly over the course of a few hours.
Most glow in the dark products are based on the safe, non-radioactive phosphors zinc sulfide and strontium aluminate. These phosphors absorb invisible UV light and then re-emit visible light, or “glow”, with a longer persistence than normal incandescent bulbs. A small number of products use a radioactive element, such as radium (which has a half life of 1600 years) or promethium, to provide a continuous glow. These products are regulated to ensure that their radiation levels are not dangerous to humans.
Glow-in-the-dark items typically glow green, which is because human eyes are more sensitive to the colour green and so objects appear brighter to us. They can also glow other colours, but these are less common. Some products require a very long exposure to light, such as the glow-in-the-dark stars you can stick on a ceiling, while others will only last for 10 minutes after they have been charged.
Ambient light can also affect the brightness of glow in the dark materials, since it will draw your eyes away from them and prevent them from becoming fully adapted to darkness. This can be a problem when using glow in the dark paints and decorations around the home, but it is not a concern for products such as glow-in-the-dark toys and clothing.