Sun / UV Penetration and Protection Measurement System

The system comprises a Camspec M350 computer controlled double beam scanning spectrophotometer with comprehensive Windows® software with an integrated sphere accessory installed.

The Sun / UV Penetration System for fabrics has been designed specifically for analysts working in the fabric industry who need an accurate and reliable method of determining the sun blocking properties of fabrics for the important UV-A and UV-B wavelengths.

Technical and measurement notes here.

A Powerful Analytical Tool
Comprising the Camspec M350, a high performance computer-controlled double bean scanning UV spectrophotometer, an integrating sphere and a powerful software package suitable for a standard PC, the system is both versatile and easy to use.

Specification of System with Sphere Installed

• Light sources: Tungsten and Deuterium lamps
• Wavelength range (with beam installed): 290 to 400nm
• Angular divergence of beam: < +/- 5degrees
• Beam area of sample: 10 x 3mm
• Bandpass: 2nm
• Wavelength accuracy: +/- 0.5nm
• Transmittance accuracy: (<1%Abs)
  • 20%T +/- 0.3
  • 10%T +/- 0.2
  • 2%T +/-0.1
• Wavelength calibration: using Holmium Oxide filter traceable to NPL
• Absorbance calibration: using metal coated neutral density filters traceable to NPL
• NOTE 1 - The stray light value is within BS7914 : 1998 requirement (<0.1%T) and at this level has a negligible effect on results
• NOTE 2 - Simply removing the integrating sphere accessory and reconnecting a signal cable allows use of the M350 as a standard spectrophotometer, wavelength range 190 to 1100nm, with full functionality

Highly efficient integrating sphere
The purpose-designed integrating sphere, which meets the requirements of international standards, efficiently collects all the scattered radiation transmitted by the fabric. The Spectralon coating has a very high reflectivity throughout the UV-R region, diffusely reflecting the radiation on to a solid state detector mounted at the top of the sphere.

• Operated in single beam mode (reference beam used to provide long-term stability)
• Opening area 3% of total surface area
• Fully baffled
• Zero specimen recess
• Coating material : Spectralon, which has >96% reflectance in region 290 to 400nm
• Reference port allows substitution to correct for effect of sample reflectance on sphere efficiency
• UG11 filter in front of detector to eliminate effects of sample fluorescence in the visible region

Sample-effect compensation
The reflectivity of the samples will affect the efficiency of the sphere. The program includes a procedure to directly measure this effect, and to compensate for it in the calculations.

Low noise, high accuracy
The inherently low noise of the M350 contributes to the optical stability of the measurements system, resulting in accurate, reproducible results.

User friendly operation
The sphere slides out for convenient sampling before being scanned over the UV-R region 290 to 400nm. The advanced software package includes screen prompts to guide the user through the measurement procedures.

Automatic calculations
The scan data is stored to disk and the erythemically weighed UV-R irradiation transmitted by the sample is calculated automatically.

Report generation
The software generates a report, in a convenient A4 format, which includes all the necessary sample information and results according to the Testing Method used. The report can be sent to any PC printer.

Validation
Standards, traceable to the UK National Physical Laboratory are available to check the wavelength and photometric accuracy of the system.

Removable integrating sphere
In just a few seconds, the sphere can be disconnected and optically removed. The M350 can then be used as a conventional UV/Vis spectrometer with a wavelength range of 190 to 1100nm, and a fixed 2nm bandpass. Refer to the separate section for the M350 for a full list of the features, available from the powerful Windows software.

Technical and measurement notes here.

Range by Model

Single Beam
M105
(Student Visible Range)
M106
(QC / Student Visible Range)
M107
(High Specification Visible Range)
M501
(UV / Visible Spectrophotometer)

Double Beam
New M550
(New UV / Visible Spectrophotometer)

Fibre Optics
M400PC
(Fibre Optic Diode Array Spectrophotometer)

Special Systems
M350N
System for Measuring NATO colours of paints and fabrics.
SPF
System for measuring sun protection factor of fabrics.
CSF
System for CSF Bilirubin/Porphyrin Measurement.