| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 734677 | Optics & Laser Technology | 2008 | 7 Pages |
Ultraviolet (UV) fluorescent lamps are widely used in the manufacturing process of biomaterials. The possibility of replacing these lamps with ultraviolet light emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) was investigated and the results are presented here. A number of emission characteristics, including the spectral output and intensity of both light sources were measured and compared. The warm up time of the UV-LED was found to be faster than that of the fluorescent lamp while their stabilities were found to be comparable. The ability of each source to initiate photopolymerisation in a biomaterial sample was monitored using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy and the percentage polymerisation calculated. The results presented here show that UV-LEDs are a viable alternative to UV fluorescent lamps in the manufacturing process of biomaterials.
