UV Resistant Clear Urethane and Colorants

[jkaras]

Hello-

I am planning to create 2-1/2 inch spheres using colored clear urethane with an LED encapsulated within it for it to light up. The goal is that the spheres are tinted a vibrant color and are translucent enough to catch the light and glow. If they are too opaque we lose brightness. If they are too clear the light passes out of the sphere, so a nice frosty translucency is perfect. These spheres will be suspended outside fully exposed to UV light and weather and we are hoping they last for 5 years. I have been investigating using Smooth-on's Crystal Clear urethane plastic as well as their UV resistant UVO colorants. The UVO colorants are declared as UV resistant but they are opaque as opposed to their So-Strong Color Tints which are translucent but would fade in UV. I was wondering if using a low concentration of UVO into Crystal Clear would be able to yield me a translucent yet vibrant result? Or if anybody out there knows of an alternative UV resistant clear urethane with vibrant UV resistant translucent colorant?

Thank you!

-Jason http://www.jkkreations.com

[Fleafa]

Have you asked Smooth-On? If they aren't sure, the best way is to experiment. Of course, that won't tell you much about longevity but it would about translucency.

[mangozac]

Your planned technique will probably work - as Fleafa suggests it will just require experimenting to work out the ratios. Note that it can be difficult to get a consistent pigment level when doing something like this, so your level of opacity will vary from part to part.

You could inquire with other pigment manufacturers such as

[Fleafa]

[RageofAchilles]