• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Aerogel

ussfletcher said:
It absorbs moisture really well, if you touch it with your bare hands you are in for some insanely dry skin.
Click to expand...

i bet it does...it's probably difficult to keep it stable under normal atmospheric conditions, seems like it would be very hydrophilic.
 
Tritiated aerogels are supposedly the brightest betaluminescent emitter available. I was in a room next to where they were testing them and saw output from their collected emissions on a photovoltaic array but could not see the glow which I was interested in. I find things that give off cold light with no input energy required whatsoever to be fascinating. Bonus points if you can hold them in your hand for as long as you like without fear of getting irradiated!

Peroxide based lightsticks are OK but they dim in just minutes. This stuff (TA) gives off light for years - even decades before noticeably fading!

I have a traser that was given to me several years ago and it still glows strong enough to read a book in total darkness. I wear it like a dogtag just in case the lights go out. 😉
 
Rubycon said:
Tritiated aerogels are supposedly the brightest betaluminescent emitter available. I was in a room next to where they were testing them and saw output from their collected emissions on a photovoltaic array but could not see the glow which I was interested in. I find things that give off cold light with no input energy required whatsoever to be fascinating. Bonus points if you can hold them in your hand for as long as you like without fear of getting irradiated!

Peroxide based lightsticks are OK but they dim in just minutes. This stuff (TA) gives off light for years - even decades before noticeably fading!

I have a traser that was given to me several years ago and it still glows strong enough to read a book in total darkness. I wear it like a dogtag just in case the lights go out. 😉
Click to expand...

that. is. awesome.
 
Aerogel has been around for a long time, actually.

I was actually just calling around to see about having it installed in my house as insulation. It comes in large sheets 5-10mm thick that you can apply directly to the walls, like wallpaper. Cover it over with wallpaper or backing material for paint and you're done. Works out a lot cheaper than blown-in insulation, but you lose a small amount of sq footage.
 
Rubycon said:
Tritiated aerogels are supposedly the brightest betaluminescent emitter available. I was in a room next to where they were testing them and saw output from their collected emissions on a photovoltaic array but could not see the glow which I was interested in. I find things that give off cold light with no input energy required whatsoever to be fascinating. Bonus points if you can hold them in your hand for as long as you like without fear of getting irradiated!

Peroxide based lightsticks are OK but they dim in just minutes. This stuff (TA) gives off light for years - even decades before noticeably fading!

I have a traser that was given to me several years ago and it still glows strong enough to read a book in total darkness. I wear it like a dogtag just in case the lights go out. 😉
Click to expand...

Pics!
 
F1N3ST said:
Pics!
Click to expand...

Here's the 5 curie green area marker. It's rated at 20 years and is about 3 years old. Still quite bright perhaps as bright as a lightstick that's four hours old.

5Ci.jpg
 
F1N3ST said:
Are these available on eBay? :awe:
Click to expand...

If you're outside of the US you can probably get them.

Inside of the USA you have to be careful because they are regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and ownership without a proper license is illegal. Stupid, stupid rules because they are VERY safe.

Yet there are plenty of watches, clocks, and WWII aircraft dials painted with radium that put out very high levels of alpha (not an issue unless you inhale the dust!) and gamma (a big dial can belt out 30mrem/hr!). These trasers are ZERO emission devices. Even if you break the tube and immediately inhale the contents the radiation of a five curie device will be about as bad as a full chest x-ray. It leaves your body in a day when you pee so no real harm done.

In the US a company called SRB Technologies produces these tubes but will positively NOT sell to anyone without a proper license. The closest one would get to any would be tearing apart an exit sign (don't do this though!) or buy one on ebay. There's group buys of these things on candlepowerforums.com as well.

Naked tubes are extremely fragile and if you break it the gas escapes and it goes dark almost instantly. It's best to encapsulate them so they are rugged to carry around for practical use.
 
Savarak said:
This thread is the first result for "Tritiated aerogels" on google!

http://www.google.com/search?q=Tritiated+aerogels

How'd you get your hands on that marker thing? Pretty bright
Click to expand...
forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?p=29201604 - 7 minutes ago
Click to expand...
Geez, is Google indexing the Internet in realtime?



Rubycon said:
Tritiated aerogels are supposedly the brightest betaluminescent emitter available. I was in a room next to where they were testing them and saw output from their collected emissions on a photovoltaic array but could not see the glow which I was interested in. I find things that give off cold light with no input energy required whatsoever to be fascinating. Bonus points if you can hold them in your hand for as long as you like without fear of getting irradiated!

Peroxide based lightsticks are OK but they dim in just minutes. This stuff (TA) gives off light for years - even decades before noticeably fading!

I have a traser that was given to me several years ago and it still glows strong enough to read a book in total darkness. I wear it like a dogtag just in case the lights go out. 😉
Click to expand...
You tell the best bedtime stories.😀
 
Rubycon said:
If you're outside of the US you can probably get them.

Inside of the USA you have to be careful because they are regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and ownership without a proper license is illegal. Stupid, stupid rules because they are VERY safe.

Yet there are plenty of watches, clocks, and WWII aircraft dials painted with radium that put out very high levels of alpha (not an issue unless you inhale the dust!) and gamma (a big dial can belt out 30mrem/hr!). These trasers are ZERO emission devices. Even if you break the tube and immediately inhale the contents the radiation of a five curie device will be about as bad as a full chest x-ray. It leaves your body in a day when you pee so no real harm done.

In the US a company called SRB Technologies produces these tubes but will positively NOT sell to anyone without a proper license. The closest one would get to any would be tearing apart an exit sign (don't do this though!) or buy one on ebay. There's group buys of these things on candlepowerforums.com as well.

Naked tubes are extremely fragile and if you break it the gas escapes and it goes dark almost instantly. It's best to encapsulate them so they are rugged to carry around for practical use.
Click to expand...

So... what if we don't live in the United States.... /shiftyeyes
 
Rubycon said:
Who's going to bed? 😛
Click to expand...

You see! She doesn't sleep, she doesn't stop. She can't be bargained with. She can't be reasoned with. She doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And She absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead.

The tritiated versions though, I assume this is just tritium based off of the name? Doesn't that still have the half-life of 12.5 years? While I know that the tritium gas tubes are supposed to be long lasting (Ball watches are rather impressive and they claim 20 year lifespan), I still have a poor view of the lifespan of Tritium luminescence based off of the lifespan of tritium watch dials. I have a tritium watch dial that is 10 years old and it is practically ineffective. The half-life is a real drag though I guess if you have a gas tube with such spectacular lumens that you need a few half-life before it severely impacts performace.
 
Last edited:
Born2bwire said:
The tritiated versions though, I assume this is just tritium based off of the name? Doesn't that still have the half-life of 12.5 years? While I know that the tritium gas tubes are supposed to be long lasting (Ball watches are rather impressive and they claim 20 year lifespan), I still have a poor view of the lifespan of Tritium luminescence based off of the lifespan of tritium watch dials. I have a tritium watch dial that is 10 years old and it is practically ineffective. The half-life is a real drag though I guess if you have a gas tube with such spectacular lumens that you need a few half-life before it severely impacts performace.
Click to expand...

Yes the higher the pressure (in theory) the better the lumen maintenance hence the ratings. Paint is different and is going to be far, far dimmer. As a matter of fact it is designed to "charge up" just like normal GITD materials and the subtle H3 glow is so the dial can be read in the lowest of light conditions when it hasn't been exposed to light for many hours or days.

Trasers work differently. They do not respond to "charging up" with light. If irradiated with black light radiation they will glow dazzling bright however the level quickly falls to its standard maintained level. I've seen 12 year old Luminox watch dials and they are still quite useable.
 
James Bond said:
Wait, you're saying I can buy a glowstick that is bright for 20 years?
Click to expand...

Basically.

I removed that post because I cannot verify if that place indeed still sells these. In any case if you search around you should be able to find what you need. 😉
 
I never got any tritium vials, but I did buy a pocket clip marked with photoluminescent powder suspended in epoxy. I thought about buying some raw powder, but I didn't have any interesting projects and didn't want glowy crap all over the place.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top