Plastic materials are often used for outdoor applications such as architectural glazing, mass transportation interiors, and marine dock fenders. Certain plastics such as acrylic, Ultem®, PVDF, and PTFE are inherently UV stable.
Long-sleeved shirts, long pants, or long skirts cover the most skin and are the most protective. Dark colors generally provide more protection than light colors. A tightly woven fabric protects better than loosely woven clothing. Dry fabric is generally more protective than wet fabric.
Shiny polyesters and even lightweight satiny silks can be highly protective because they reflect radiation. High-tech fabrics treated with chemical UV absorbers or dyes prevent some penetration from UV rays. Fit: Loose-fitting apparel is preferable.
UV can easily be shielded by materials such as polycarbonate, metal, cardboard, and wood. Ordinary glass blocks most UV light of wavelengths less than 330 nm but may also transmit most of the UV for longer wavelengths.
In plastic wraps sold in the US, polyethylene is the main component. It is a structure with only single bonds, so it should not absorb any UV radiation, as it has no conjugated double bonds. However, some of the UVB radiation was blocked, suggesting a contaminant or reflection of UVB radiation.
Acrylic is among the only manufacturing materials that is inherently UV-resistant. It is a transparent plastic that suffers as little as 3% degradation over a 10-year period when used in outdoor applications. Acrylic also offers good scratch resistance, making it an excellent choice for long-term use.
Aluminum (Al) is the only material that has a high reflectivity for ultraviolet rays in the wavelength range of 250 nm to 400 nm.
Fortunately, many pure plastics cannot absorb UV radiation, but the presence of catalytic residues and other impurities can act as receptors to cause degradation. Only a very small amount of impurity may be needed for degradation to occur.
Synthetic and semisynthetic fibers like polyester or rayon are the best choices for sun protection, as are dense, heavy, tightly woven fabrics like wool, denim or corduroy.
Green glass totally blocked UVA radiation, while blue glass transmitted the highest dose of radiation (56.8%). The presence of a sunlight control film totally blocked UVA radiation. All glasses totally blocked UVB radiation.
PLEXIGLAS® consists entirely of extremely strong and UV-stable molecules. This means that the entire sheet, rather than just a thin surface layer, is UV stable. Other plastics, by contrast, are often provided with protective layers to protect against UV radiation.
UV is easily shielded by opaque materials such as metal, wood, and cardboard. Polycarbonate material is also a good UV shield. Some types of clear glass may transmit significant amounts of UV-A radiation and should not be relied on for UV protection unless UV shielding is verified.
The active ingredients in chemical sunscreens include avobenzone, octinoxate and oxybenzone. Physical sunblock sits on top of the skin and reflects the sun's rays. The minerals titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are the main active ingredients in physical blocks.
applied various emollients to normal skin and found that vaseline, petrolatum and hydrophilic ointment had the most UVB-blocking effects, whereas liquid emollients such as bath oil and mineral oil had minimal effects. However, no differences were observed when peanut oil and corn oil were applied.
The UV blocking characteristic is a clear advantage of polycarbonate over other glazing materials such as glass, acrylic and fiberglass. While polycarbonate in its natural form blocks UV, other materials have to be specifically treated for UV blocking.
The regular High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (HMW-PE) as a standard is not considered to be UV stable. When exposed to sunlight and other UV light it will degrade fairly quickly. Extended exposure to sunlight radiation, and ultraviolet rays in particular, results in polyethylene being weathered.
Treatments: Chemicals and dyes that are effective at absorbing UV light can be added to enhance UPF. Fiber type: Polyester does an excellent job at disrupting UV light, as does nylon. Wool and silk are moderately effective. Cotton, rayon, flax and hemp fabrics often score low without added treatments.
When produced by the sun, UV-C does not penetrate the earth's atmosphere. Standard window glass, according to the International Ultraviolet Association, will allow UV-A to pass through while almost 100% of the UV-B and UV-C light is blocked.
The level of UV resistance in frosted glass depends on how it is manufactured. For example, standard frosted glass may provide minimal UV protection, but options with UV-blocking decorative film or coatings can achieve higher levels of protection.
Certain plastics such as acrylic, Ultem®, PVDF, and PTFE are inherently UV stable.
Wearing sunglasses and a hat is the simplest and safest way to protect your eyes from UV rays. Choose sunglasses that that fit well and that block light from coming in around the lenses. Choose a hat with a broad, dark brim that shades your eyes and reduces glare.
Most acrylic plastics will allow light of wavelength greater than 375 nm to pass through the material, but they will not allow UV-C wavelengths (100–290 nm) to pass through. Even very thin acrylic sheets of less than 5 millimeters (mm) do not let UV-C light penetrate.
Dark or bright colors
Darker colors, such as blue or black, absorb more UV rays than lighter shades like whites and pastels. This means the UV rays are less likely to reach your skin. But bright colors, like red, can also absorb UV rays.
Fortunately, there is a material that offers much higher reflectivity at UV wavelengths, while also being robust, cost- effective and easy to fabricate. That material is aluminium.
The best way to block UV rays is by doing a combination of all of these things. Apply sunscreen and lip balm, wear protective clothing, hats, and sunglasses, seek shade, and stay out of the sun when it's at its brightest for the best protection.