4 Types of UV Lamps Available in the Market

The covid-19 pandemic was a wake-up call for everyone!

We all were made aware of how a small virus can wreak havoc around the world and shut down residential, commercial, corporate, and industrial operations for a long time. This also made us realize the need for systems and products that can reduce the growth and spread of bacterial and viral particles in air, ground, and water.

The covid-19 pandemic also brought the attention of people and industries worldwide towards using ultraviolet replacement light bulbs. However, the lack of information made most customers buy fake UV light bulbs that did nothing to sterilize their environment.

Before you buy   UV light bulbs for your space, it would be best to know the different types of UV lights available in the market. It will also help you choose the right UV light bulb for your space.

Types of UV Light Bulbs

Any UV light bulb will emit one of three UV wavelengths.

• UV-A: 315nm to 400 nm
• UV-B: 280 nm to 315 nm
• UV-C: 100 nm to 280 nm

Each wavelength has different applications based on the space and type of particles it is sterilizing. In the market, you will find 4 types of UV light lamps.

Shortwave UV Light Lamps

Shortwave UV light lamps are made of fluorescent tubes with no phosphorus coatings. These lamps supply UV light of 253.7 nm wavelength. However, it blocks any light of 185 nm wavelength. Shortwave UV light lamps provide 2-3 times more power compared to any fluorescent unit. These types of  UV light lamps find application in the food industry, water treatment, and laboratory. These types of UV lamps are suitable for sterilizing and disinfecting a space of bacterial and viral particles.

Blacklight UV Lamps

This type of UV lamp emits a UV-A wavelength of 400 nm along with some visible light. Most commonly, these UV lamps are found in theatrical productions or concerts. Blacklight UV lamps have fluorescent tubes with inner phosphorus coating.

Sometimes these lights also have an internal filter to block all visible light and any wavelength more than 400 nm.

Ultraviolet LEDs

You will also find LED lights that emit ultraviolet wavelengths. LEDs are sustainable, last longer, and require much less maintenance. Ultraviolet LEDs find applications in curing. For example, if you have ever been to a nail salon, they will have UV lamps to cure the nail adhesives. These LED lights are also used in digital printing applications.

Since Ultraviolet LEDs are smaller in size, they are easily portable.

Gas-Discharge

This type of UV lamp uses a mix of two or more gases to emit UV at specific wavelengths over the whole UV spectrum. Some use a combination of argon and deuterium. You will also find some gas-discharge UV light lamps using magnesium fluoride.

Gas-discharge UV lamps find applications for scientific purposes. They are used in UV chemical analysis to determine different compounds present in a sample. They are also used to determine the structure of a sample, such as crystals.

Bottom Line

UV lamps found mainstream applications after the pandemic. But they have been used for a long time in industrial, scientific, and commercial spaces.

If you are looking to get customized UV lamps for your industrial or commercial space, you can get in touch with us at Light Spectrum Enterprises, Inc. We are a leading manufacturer providing customized UV lamps for industries of all sizes and sectors.

We also provide OEM capabilities to ensure our clients get the UV lamps they need.

Contact us now to know more.