Glow-in-the-dark bracelets use chemical reactions.
Glow-in-the-dark bracelets are usually created with the help of particular chemical compounds. These chemical compounds, when combined, produce a type of chemical luminescence in the same way fireflies create their light, according to Premier Glow. Once these chemicals finish interacting, the glow disappears, which is why most glow bracelets can only be used once.
Glow Bracelets
There are two types of glow-in-the-dark bracelets. One uses a permanent phosphor compound that absorbs and then briefly radiates light. This light is slight and can usually be seen only in the dark. This is how the bracelet derives its name. The other type of glow bracelet is made of a thin plastic sheath that houses a tube full of chemicals. These chemicals are combined to create a reaction that produces light as a byproduct.
Dibutyl Phthalate
Dibutyl phthalate is one of the most common chemicals in glow-in-the-dark bracelets. These chemicals, mostly a petroleum derivative, are used to create plastics and paints. They are used in the bracelets to hold the small amounts of active chemical compounds and help them interact at the proper speed. This means that most of the bracelet solution is made of dibutyl phthalate. Although phthalates have been linked to cancers and other conditions, they are not directly poisonous, according to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is used as the catalyst in glow bracelets. It must be held in a small glass vial inside the bracelet, often known as an ampoule, according to Extreme Glow. This vial holds dibutyl phthalate and the hydrogen peroxide. When the glow bracelet is bent, the glass tube breaks and the hydrogen peroxide combines with the chemical in the rest of the bracelet, a phenyl oxalate mixture.
Glowing Process
The phenyl oxalate mixture and the hydrogen peroxide create a chemical reaction that trades a large amount of energy back and forth between the compounds, according to Premier Glow. As atoms gain and lose energy, they produce photons--small fragments of light that escape the reaction and leave the bracelet. A dye is included in the mixture to give the light a particular color.
Zinc Sulfide and Strontium Aluminates
In bracelets that don't have the chemical reaction, a different substance is used, often zinc sulfide or a strontium aluminate. As phosphors, both react to light in a specific way. Their atoms also absorb a small amount of energy from exposed light. The atoms, once energized, slowly lose their energy levels and begin to emit rays of light that can be seen in the dark.
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