There is a legend that a Vulcan Spacecraft traveling faster than the speed of light crashed in the far reaches of the galaxy on a little known planet called Earth. Left stranded in the strange world of paper currency and line dancing, they had little to trade to survive in that logic deprived place. They soon resorted to trading Vulcan technologies for food and lodging, some of these included Velcro, Titanium Alloys and GLOW IN THE DARK PAINT!
Everyone is surfing in the DAYGLO, including Kanye West’s Tour Glow in the Dark
Glow in the dark objects owe their marvel to the presence of phosphors, which are particles which radiate visible light after being energized. The most common places to see phosphorescence is on your TV, computer screen and fluorescent lights. There are thousands of chemicals that behave like phosphors each with their own unique qualities. The basic mechanics involve the ability of a substance to absorb energy from light and then release it slowly over a period of time. Basically photons are trapped in a hypothetical quantum state called the ‘Triplet State’ and then keep emitting light while trapped. Depending on the ‘quantum load’ of a substance it will glow longer or shorter, this is known as the persistence of phosphor. This means that the more the particles of the phosphor act in a quantum way the longer they remain glowing.
To make a glow in the dark T-shirt you need to choose a phosphor which is energized by normal light and has a long persistence. Two of the most commonly used phosphors are Zinc Sulphide and Strontium Aluminate. Strontium Aluminate in a newer substance and has a longer persistence. These substances can be mixed into a plastisol ink and screen printed on a T-shirt. So welcome to the age of The quantum mechanical T-shirt.
Here are few examples of the amazing world of Phosphorescence. Threadless in Particular have been really made use of the phosphorescent technology as we can see in this amazing example on Brock Davis‘ Office Party Ghost T-shirt.
And another fantastic one from Chow Hon Lam called Ghost in the Dark.
Although by far the most poignant and important application has been in the field of Luminescant Toilet Roll.
LOL I haven’t worn glow in the dark shirts since I was a kid. After I got caught out wearing glow in the dark shoes during a hide and seek contest, I have never gone back ROFL.
Yeah it definitely has its disadvantages, I’d like to get my teeth DAYGLO’d for Halloween.