OT (sort of): UV protection

[Jeff Thies]

I've been using mylar for various things, adding extra layers of glazing cheaply. It's dead clear. It does deteriorate under UV and needs to be protected from UV.

So far I've been using Sun Tuf, which has a UV shield on the top, polycarbonate needs to be protected also. What I don't know is what other plastics/glazing blocks UV. Acrylic and PVC as well as polyethelene are widely available. I'm fairly sure that the poly is transparent to a wide spectrum. I think vinyls and probably most plastics pass UV, but I really don't know and I can't find good data on this.

Any help?

Jeff

[Frank]

Probably have to look at individual polymers. Ability to pass UV is not necessarily related to stability as polymers such as polyethylene and polypropylene degrade readily without stabilizers.

I think those with aromatic rings like polystyrene and polycarbonate absorb most readily.

For glazing and lenses, polycarbonate and acrylic are mainly used.