pthomas625
08-16-2007, 07:21 PM
:idea: i know this is probably extremely far-fetched, but worth mention. maybe. i ran across a company called Del Sol. they sell stuff that changes color in the sun. for example: they have black and white t-shirts, but once you go in the sun, the t-shirt is now colored. they have the same idea for key-chains. they start out clear, and the sun "colors" them. here's a webpage: http://www.delsol.com/store/Accessories___Key_Chains?Args=&page_number=1
here's an explanation to how it all works:
Del Sol's special formula for color-change technology was developed from a concept originally explored by NASA and the U.S. military. Over the span of several years, Del Sol has made revolutionary enhancements to the color-change technology by developing its proprietary, patent-pending Spectrachrome® crystal. The sun-powered® crystal dyes used in Del Sol's product line are unparalleled in the color-change industry.
Del Sol has since grown to be recognized as the leader in the industry for color-changing, retail-specialty products, and the only world-wide producer of Spectrachrome® crystal dyes. Our product line features the brightest and most vibrant colors of the rainbow. Simply add the sun's ultraviolet rays to our products and watch the Spectrachrome® colors magically appear!
Spectrachrome® Technology
• What are the crystals made of? The Spectrachrome® crystal is chemically engineered of organic materials.
• How does it work? The Spectrachrome® crystal reveals color upon irradiation by ultraviolet waves; i.e., sunlight. When a flower blooms, the result is the exposure of the inherent color of the flower. A Spectrachrome® crystal is similar in that an energy-shift occurs causing the color of the dye to become visible to the human eye. The shifting or "twisting" of the dye is referred to as a molecular excitation transition. The dye does not actually "change" color; rather, it becomes visible to the human eye. Research shows that some animals; e.g., certain species of bats, can actually see the color of a Spectrachrome® crystal in its inactive state.
•What wavelength causes the reaction? Although each Spectrachrome® crystal operates at a slightly different wavelength, the optimal wavelength is 365 nanometers.
•Does the molecule become larger when it is irradiated? No, however it does take on a physical change.
•How many colors are there? To date, there are more than 30 colors. Many of these are quite similar to one another; hence, the usable range is narrowed to about 10. The Del Sol Spectrachrome® chemists have tested over 6,000 products.
anyway, my idea: from what i've read, it's hard to get a saber blade to show in the sun, and people will usually use acrylic (i think) to get past this. what if a blade was to be made with this technology, where once UV (sunlight) touches it, it darkens? just ideas, but again, i think this is extremely far-fetched. :?
here's an explanation to how it all works:
Del Sol's special formula for color-change technology was developed from a concept originally explored by NASA and the U.S. military. Over the span of several years, Del Sol has made revolutionary enhancements to the color-change technology by developing its proprietary, patent-pending Spectrachrome® crystal. The sun-powered® crystal dyes used in Del Sol's product line are unparalleled in the color-change industry.
Del Sol has since grown to be recognized as the leader in the industry for color-changing, retail-specialty products, and the only world-wide producer of Spectrachrome® crystal dyes. Our product line features the brightest and most vibrant colors of the rainbow. Simply add the sun's ultraviolet rays to our products and watch the Spectrachrome® colors magically appear!
Spectrachrome® Technology
• What are the crystals made of? The Spectrachrome® crystal is chemically engineered of organic materials.
• How does it work? The Spectrachrome® crystal reveals color upon irradiation by ultraviolet waves; i.e., sunlight. When a flower blooms, the result is the exposure of the inherent color of the flower. A Spectrachrome® crystal is similar in that an energy-shift occurs causing the color of the dye to become visible to the human eye. The shifting or "twisting" of the dye is referred to as a molecular excitation transition. The dye does not actually "change" color; rather, it becomes visible to the human eye. Research shows that some animals; e.g., certain species of bats, can actually see the color of a Spectrachrome® crystal in its inactive state.
•What wavelength causes the reaction? Although each Spectrachrome® crystal operates at a slightly different wavelength, the optimal wavelength is 365 nanometers.
•Does the molecule become larger when it is irradiated? No, however it does take on a physical change.
•How many colors are there? To date, there are more than 30 colors. Many of these are quite similar to one another; hence, the usable range is narrowed to about 10. The Del Sol Spectrachrome® chemists have tested over 6,000 products.
anyway, my idea: from what i've read, it's hard to get a saber blade to show in the sun, and people will usually use acrylic (i think) to get past this. what if a blade was to be made with this technology, where once UV (sunlight) touches it, it darkens? just ideas, but again, i think this is extremely far-fetched. :?