UV-Proof Plastics

GeForce

GeForce

GeForce

Soldato
Joined
14 Feb 2006
Posts
4,644
Location
Surrey, UK
Hi all, slightly random question this one I know.

Basically it's a weather station project, and the photodiode for sensing light needs to go, obviously, in a weatherproof but translucent/transparent housing.

Now we started with colourless HIPS, but whilst waterproof, after a while in the sun the UV light causes it to become really brittle and it cracks.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what plastic (or other material) would be suitable? Preferably something easy to mould - HIPS was ideal as vacuum forming the case took seconds.

Thanks,
Jon
 
If it's just the light sensor that needs to be transparent then a little upturned glass thing set in some cheap plastic or wood frame would be ok.
 
Polycarbonate can be bought in a formable sheet and is fairly UV stable without coating. Most others are coated to be UV stable and this coating is often b0rked by the forming process.
 
Ben M said:
what would be best, is a plastic with a weather resistant coating applied.
Click to expand...

malfunkshun said:
Polycarbonate can be bought in a formable sheet and is fairly UV stable without coating. Most others are coated to be UV stable and this coating is often b0rked by the forming process.
Click to expand...

Hmm yes this is a very good point. Maybe it's best to go for something like HIPS (for its formability) and then look at a UV protective varnish type thing. I'll see if we have any anywhere. Any recommendations for UV resistant coatings? Or are they all fairly generic?

Tefal said:
Wouldn't glass be best?
Click to expand...

I did think of this, but I'd like to be able to mould the case to a certain shape. It is, however, a good backup option should I be able to find nothing else suitable :)

Thanks chaps, all the comments are much appreciated.

Jon
 
You should be able to form clear or smoked acrylic (or polycarb as mentioned above) into what you want. You won't be able to vac form it but you could make a buck to push into it with a fly press. HIPS is (I'm just guessing) high impact polystyrene ? and polystyrene practically dissolves in sunlight. Acrylic is pretty good in sunlight and so is polycarb. We originally specced polycarbonate for the front of the Dyson washing machine when I worked there until we found it goes like glass when exposed to detergents. Schoolboy error :D
 
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