But what impact does UV-C irradiation have on products exposed to this kind of UV light? Many products are made out of plastic or have housings containing polymers. It is well known that most polymers degrade upon irradiation with UV-C light, as the irradiation can break chemical bonds.
What are the effects on materials due to UV-C and what does this mean for the lifetime of a polymer, plastic coating or assembly? At present, not much is known about the degradation of materials due to UV-C.
Possible effects of UV-C radiation on plastics:
- increased brittleness
- a change of color
- increased surface roughness
- change of wetting behavior of liquid disinfection agents (spray / impregnated wipes)