Ford
Sr Product Manager, Chauvet Professional
There are definitely UV resistant plastics. We use them in some of our fixture lenses, and housings (specifically, units with IP6x ratings). The IP rating has nothing to do with UV resistance, but (to us, anyway) is an indicator of likely outdoor usage.
The need for quartz is to prevent UVC from generating Ozone. That is why UVC lamps from Osram and Philips have quartz envelopes.
In reference to other items inherent resistance to UV... my short answer is, if you wouldn't put it outside without expecting it to fade, It probably should't be exposed to daily, large doses of UV from any source.
In other words, don't use UVC to disinfect all of your stolen artwork. The old masters did not use UV resistant paint.
In our Video Panels, we have found that we need to use UV resistant LEDs to prevent damage from sunlight. If regular LEDs are used, you'll see color drift, intensity loss, and LED failure after regular (as in time period, not application) outdoor usage.
With fixtures which use lenses, the primary reason not to point them at the sun is not to protect them from UV energy, but to protect them from being burned like ants under Dave's kids magnifying glass.
The need for quartz is to prevent UVC from generating Ozone. That is why UVC lamps from Osram and Philips have quartz envelopes.
In reference to other items inherent resistance to UV... my short answer is, if you wouldn't put it outside without expecting it to fade, It probably should't be exposed to daily, large doses of UV from any source.
In other words, don't use UVC to disinfect all of your stolen artwork. The old masters did not use UV resistant paint.
In our Video Panels, we have found that we need to use UV resistant LEDs to prevent damage from sunlight. If regular LEDs are used, you'll see color drift, intensity loss, and LED failure after regular (as in time period, not application) outdoor usage.
With fixtures which use lenses, the primary reason not to point them at the sun is not to protect them from UV energy, but to protect them from being burned like ants under Dave's kids magnifying glass.