UV absorbers are one of many additives, and one of their functions is to prevent UV damage to products. UV absorbers are also applied by various manufacturers in various aspects, especially in summer when the amount of ultraviolet radiation in the air increases exponentially, causing certain impacts on our lives and goods. We want sun protection, so items and products naturally need to be protected. Otherwise, ultraviolet radiation will damage the molecular structure of the product, causing it to fade, yellow, and age faster, seriously affecting its use. At this time, ultraviolet absorbers become very important. Although UV absorbers can effectively solve problems, there are a wide variety of options in the market, and the choices are also multifaceted. It does not mean that one UV absorber can be suitable for all products.
So, how to choose the right UV absorber for your product? Firstly, one should have a basic understanding and knowledge of ultraviolet absorbers.
Definition:
UV absorbers are currently the most widely used type of light stabilizer, which can be classified according to their structure into salicylates, benzophenones, benzotriazoles, substituted acrylonitrile, triazines, etc. The most commonly used in industry are benzophenones and benzotriazoles. Quenching agents are mainly metal complexes, such as divalent nickel complexes, which are often used in conjunction with ultraviolet absorbers to achieve synergistic effects.
Effect:
UV absorbers are a type of light stabilizer that can absorb the ultraviolet portion of sunlight and fluorescent light sources without undergoing any changes.
Due to the presence of a large amount of harmful ultraviolet light in sunlight, with a wavelength of approximately 290-460 nanometers, these harmful ultraviolet lights undergo chemical redox reactions, causing the color molecules of the product to eventually decompose and fade, leading to product aging.
There are both physical and chemical methods to prevent harmful ultraviolet light from damaging colors.
Here is a brief introduction to chemical methods, namely the use of ultraviolet absorbers to effectively prevent or weaken the color damage of protected objects.
UV absorbers should have the following conditions:
① Can strongly absorb ultraviolet radiation (especially at wavelengths of 290-400nm)
② Good thermal stability, even during processing, will not change due to heat, and has low thermal volatility
③ Good chemical stability, no adverse reactions with material components in the product
④ Good miscibility, can be evenly dispersed in the material, does not spray frost, does not leak out
⑤ The absorbent itself has good photochemical stability, does not decompose, and does not change color
⑥ Colorless, non-toxic, odorless
⑦ Resistant to immersion and washing
⑧ Insoluble or difficult to dissolve in water
UV absorbers are used in plastics, coatings, dyes, car windshields, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, sunscreens, etc.
Generally speaking:
The application effect of triazine UV absorbers is significantly better than that of benzotriazole UV absorbers. Triazine light stabilizers not only have excellent UV absorption properties, but also have other characteristics. Triazine UV absorbers can be widely used in polymers, with excellent thermal stability, good processing stability, acid resistance, and good drug resistance in agricultural applications. In practical applications, triazine UV absorbers and hindered amine light stabilizers have a good synergistic effect, and when used together, they have better effects than when used alone.
