Photoluminescent Material Evaluation

Details

• Creators:
  Gallagher, Donald W. ; Cyrus, Holly M. ; Bassey, Robert
• Corporate Creators:
  United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration. William J. Hughes Technical Center. Airport and Aircraft Safety Research and Development Division.
• Corporate Contributors:
  United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration. Office of Airport Safety and Standards
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Airport Operations Airport Runways Marking Materials Night Visibility Reflectorized Road Markings Visibility
• Publication/ Report Number:
  DOT/FAA/AR-TN09/35
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Edition:
  Technical Note
• Corporate Publisher:
  United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration. William J. Hughes Technical Center
• Abstract:
  The fundamental principle of photoluminescent technology is the ability of the photoluminescent material to absorb and store ambient ultraviolet light energy from its surroundings and then emit the stored energy as visible light. Two particular photoluminescent pigments have been used in the development of marking systems: zinc sulfide and strontium aluminate. Both afford a pale, flat, yellow-green color when viewed in lighted conditions; in darkness, the zinc sulfide material glows with a more yellow-tinged light compared to the greener emission of the strontium aluminate. While neither of these pigments provide significant levels of illumination, these markers are used for low-location lighting and escape route marking systems onboard aircraft. As a result of these developments, manufacturers of the photoluminescent materials approached the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to allow these materials to be used for airport markings, reflectors, signs, and construction barricades as well. The manufacturers were asked to provide specific information about their products, such as suggested paint application thickness, area covered per gallon, useful light emission duration, serviceable life, and longevity/durability data. The luminance characteristics of the photoluminescent materials were evaluated at the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center to assess their suitability in an airport environment. The initial illumination, duration of useful light, and emission decay rate of the test samples were measured at predetermined intervals during photometric and subjective visual tests.
• Format:
  PDF
• Collection(s):
  FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center for Advanced Aerospace
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d5683ac185601c094c358897abcb4244893c2452da05323ce53820348a99f5a44391a1edf45540da59568568646af564a30a1c038f4114d683aa09457412030b
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/90249/dot_90249_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 232.21 KB ]