Litroenergy - New Light Source Material (emits light for 12 years without electricity)

NASA Tech Briefs Create the Future Design Contest ^ | 10/5/07 | Steve Stark

[LibWhacker]

Litroenergy is a patent pending designed light source material that emits light for 12 plus years- without electricity or sun exposure!

Our development/design of long-life, self-luminous micro particles called Litrospheres (non-toxic) emit light continuously for 12 plus years (half-life point) without any exposure to a light or other energy (not effected by cold or heat). This extremely low cost material offers 24/7 light, which can be injection molded or added to paint. It is 5,000lb crush resistant, stable and constant light source (gives off no U.V. rays). It is designed to give off almost any color of light desired. Our goal is to mass produce this material and supply OEM’s.

Litroenergy has potential to save billions of dollars in energy costs world-wide. Litroenergy surpasses all known available lighting options for cost/durability/reliability (12+ years) and safety. The uses are unlimited as the imagination; however we predict the safety aspects to be the front runner in application (light safety tape, lighted life rafts/flotation equipment, light safety markings/equipment, etc.). Supplemental light source will be second as the material is bright and one can read by it, if you have some Litroenergy lighting you will not need to always turn on a light source that requires electricity. The use of Litroenergy in toys, sports/camping equipment, bikes and novelty uses will be close in applications.

The fill rate of Litroenergy micro particles in plastic injection molding material or paint is about 20%. The cost to light up 8 ½ x 11 piece of plastic 1/8” thick is about .35 cents.

We appreciate this opportunity to introduce our patent pending designed Litroenergy light source material to the world.

[LibWhacker]

And from TreeHugger.com (LoL):

Litroenergy is a new type of material that emits light for 12 years without needing electricity or sun exposure. The self-luminous micro-particles are called Litrospheres and are said to be non-toxic and inexpensive. The light is said to be equivalent to a 20 watt incandescent bulb (lumens please?).

The litrospheres give off a continuous illumination, and can be designed to glow in any color. They can be injection molded or added to paint. The company that invented the material, MPK Co., predicts that first applications of Litroenergy will be in safety equipment such as safety tape and life rafts. Currently, the cost to light up a 8 ½ x 11 piece of plastic 1/8” thick is about .35 cents. Note: The press release says .35 cents but I think the figure is actually 35 cents.

More information can be found on this site.

[Petronski]

April Fools in December?

[kinoxi]

It is a betavoltaic technology, using a radioactive gas, whose "soft" emission of electrons from the beta emitting gas cannot penetrate the glass or polymer wall of the microspheres.

I've got some antique orange glasses I think you should look at...

[spunkets]

Tritium.

[Cementjungle]

...which can be injection molded or added to paint

Glow in the dark paint should be interesting in the hands of graffitti artists.

[goldstategop]

Your home can be a perpetual night light - or even a kaleidoscope of colors in the living room if you want to dazzle the guests in the dark. Cool.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[xjcsa]

April Fools in December?

Good question; that was my first thought. They have a website here which seems to actually sell traditional-technology glow-in-the-dark paint (has to be exposed to light for awhile, then it dims), and this new "development" is mentioned there. It would be cool if real, but I keep thinking they'll offer a perpetual motion machine along with it.

[Mike Darancette]

. The use of Litroenergy in toys, sports/camping equipment, bikes and novelty uses will be close in applications.

Good for fishing lures.

[brityank]

From the link:

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Probably Tritium; Not New; Not Dangerous; Not T100

On Dec. 10, 2007, New Energy Congress member, Richard P. George, Ph.D. wrote:

My best guess is that they are using tritium. Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen. It is an odorless, tasteless, colorless gas that reacts with the human body in the same manner as natural hydrogen. Beta rays from the tritium hit phosphors to create the glow you see. Tritium has a half-life of 12.5 years, which means that in that time the lamp will be half as bright as it originally was. Trijicon uses tritium in their ACOG rifle scopes in common use in Iraq and Afghanistan by the special forces (government issued) and thousands of individual soldiers who purchased their own scopes. Tritium is also used in some watches.

Beta particle radiation can cause skin burns and are most harmful when they enter the body (becoming small radioactive cancer causing bombs). They can be blocked by thin sheets of metal or plastic. Small amounts of tritium (e.g. one ACOG scope or one watch) have minimal radiation. You would have to have ~10,000 ACOG scopes or ~2,500 tritium watches break in one room to have any significant radiation or risk. I don't know about these paints but I suspect it would be hard for the tritium beta particles to escape the paint such that they could do harm.

The intensity is not very strong. This is good enough for night illumination of rifle scopes, watches, and emergency signs but it is not going to come anywhere close to matching the light output of or replace electric light bulbs (incandescent, flourescent, LED, etc.) or kerosene lanterns.

Tritium illumination has been around for at least 25 years. This is not a top 100 technology.

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[M203M4]

Yup, the approx 12 year half-life would be a strong indication!

About 2 years ago, an American(Rochester)/Canadian(University of Toronto) group developed a tritium-based battery small enough to be used to power pacemakers. Aside from that, I’m unaware of betavoltaics being used outside of space applications.

[goldstategop]

Tritium derived phosphor coating is used on watches to create glow in the dark effect, eliminating the need for a backlight.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[DB]

Had to have an energy source.

Radioactive energy source makes perfect sense.

I wonder what happens if you burn it???

[prisoner6]

It is designed to give off almost any color of light desired.

Hmmm...howsabout ALL colors at the same time...i,e, white light? That was a problem with LED lighting for awhile but seems to have been solved.

BTW We're using battery powered (NiMH AAx4) LED's on our indoor Christmas trees. I was looking for solar powered LED strings for outside but never got around to sending for them. Maybe after the first of the year when we start getting stuff for the summer garden.

in case you are wondering we ARE NOT envirowhacies by any streatch of the imagination, and we don't live off the grid in a rural area. Wife and I are mostly in suburban Pittsburgh when we're not 90 miles north at the farm.

I worked in commerical/residential lighting for around 25 years and became fascinated with new lighting tech, so I'm always eager to try new sources.

prisoner6

[Robert A Cook PE]

Burning luminescent paint?

The Tritium would burn just like hydrogen after the surrounding plastic melts - but there really is very, very little Trit in each square foot of material. Some of the (mildly radioactive) water would leave the room with the burning soot and waste gasses. Some would get trapped in the soot in the room, some would stay entrapped in the melted slag on the floor or cloth.

[spunkets]

"I wonder what happens if you burn it??? "

People die.

[spunkets]

Yes. They’re not going to be able to sell this stuff. It leaks beta rad. What is allowed is for industry, or pro use. THis isn’t toy making mat’l.

[PizzaDriver]

Would it be more effective in areas with high Radon levels?

[Erasmus]

Yes. They’re not going to be able to sell this stuff. It leaks beta rad. What is allowed is for industry, or pro use. THis isn’t toy making mat’l.

Well, sure it is! For the Chinee!

[MindBender26]

Tritium?

As in “zippers”

[spunkets]

"there really is very, very little Trit in each square foot of material."

Yes, but it's dangerous and regulated by the fed energy dept and the state environmental units. I tried to get a licence once for a 1/2 dozen mm size dot devices. The regs were an enormous cost and any leaks caused a super fund type response. This isn't stuff for toys. Are these things-toys- coming from China?