What is Glow in the Dark Powder?

Glow in the dark powders contain phosphors. A phosphor is a substance that radiates visible light after being excited. Glow in the dark powders have three seperate characteristics. The type of energy required to engergize them, the color of the visible light they produce, and their persistence of glow, also know as the length of time the glow in the dark powder will glow in the dark. Two phosphors that have these characteristic are zinc sulfide and strontium aluminate which is the newer phosphor with a very long persistence. All but one of GloNations powders are strontium aluminate. We offer one zinc sulfide in a red.

Glow in the dark objects are photoluminescent-they are energized by light. Many materials are photoluminescent, but not all glow in the dark for long periods. Fluroescent materials glow as long they are being energized, but stop glowing as soon as the energizing light is removed. This is what is generally called black light paint or powder.

Phosphorescent powders continue to glow after the energizing light is removed. This is the type of glow in the dark powder that GloNation provides. Phosphorescent powders have electrons that are easily excited to higher engery levels when they asorb light engery. The electrons in phosphorescent materials drop to a lower but still excited intermediate level and stay there for a period of time before returning to their ground state and the material will not glow.

GloNations glow in the dark powders have very very long glow times. Here are the times

Green- The longest glow time of 12 hours

Aqua- The second longest glow time 10 hours

Blue- Glows 5 hours

Purple- Orange, Yellow- Glows in the dark 4 hours

White- Two hours

Red- 15 minutes.