Thanks to Oddity Central for this:
LumiLor is the world’s first and only patented electroluminescent paint, which can light up virtually any solid surface when an electrical current passes through it.
LumiLor has spent $4.5 million dollars on R&D (research and development) to develop their product, where you use spray paint to create an electronic device.
The power that runs through LumiLor is approximately 160v AC power.
Regular fluorescent and phosphorescent paints only maintain their glow for a short duration after being exposed to long-wave ultraviolet (UV) radiation while radioluminescent paint contains a small amount of a radioactive isotope mixed with a radioluminescent phosphor chemical. Lumilor, the world’s first electroluminscents coating, only requires an electrical current to achieve its glowing effect, and can be used to create awe-inspiring light-shows at the flip of a switch.
What is LumiLor?
LumiLor coating is made up of several layers of paint, which the company describes as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, where the top and bottom “bread” layers are conductive and connected to an alternating electrical source. When charged, the bread creates an electric field that excites the “peanut butter”, which in turn causes the jelly to emit light. That’s obviously a very simplistic breakdown, but you get the point.
LumiLor coating has a gray hue, similar to that of a paint primer when inactive, but it can be used in combination with a range of topcoats (airbrushing, tinted clear coats, colored top coats, hydrographics, etc.) without losing it losing its amazing properties. When lit, LumiLor produces a single-color light that is visible at long distances and shines through many types of atmospheric conditions such as fog, snow and smoke.
LumiLor is currently available in 8 native colors (the colors you see when the paint is lit) and can be applied to almost any 3D object when an electrical current is passed through it. The electroluminescent paint is sold in kits that include both the paint itself and the basic electronics needed to activate it.
According to Wonder World, if you were to cover a mid-size sedan with LumiLor, you would have to pay around $15,000 for the paint alone.
Few people would cover their whole car in electric paint, but still, even smaller areas would still cost several thousands of dollars, plus labor costs.
Now, if you wanted to paint your motorcycle helmet in LumiLor, you’d be looking at around $350 plus labor costs, which actually doesn’t sound too expensive, considering the coolness of it. I’m sure labor costs can be pretty insane as well, but considering what people spend fortunes on, it’s weird not seeing LumiLor used more often.
Darkside Scientific, Inc. is the world leader in Light Emitting Coatings (LEC).
LumiLor® is their proprietary and patented electroluminescent coating system that lets you turn any object into a light source simply by applying a coat of paint, without changing its form or function.
LumiLor homepage (Medina, Ohio headquarters)
https://www.facebook.com/LumiLor1/
Buy: LumiLor starter kit ($500.00)
https://www.amazon.com/Lumilor-Starter-Kit-Electroluminescent-Technology/dp/B07R7XTHD3
How to test surfaces
https://support.lumilor.com/en/article/substratematerial-testing-and-preparation
LumiLor Terminology
LumiLor is a multi-layer, sprayable, electroluminescent coating system consisting of backplane, dielectric, LumiColor, busbar, and Conductive Top Coat.
Collectively the entire application is known as the LumiLor Stack.
Backplane – Highly conductive low resistance material that allows the electrical current to be supported across the entire illuminated surface.
Dielectric – Insulation layer when applied over the backplane and under the busbar to insure there is no burning or shorting of the system.
LumiColor – Large particle material which emits light when under power.
Busbar – Backplane material that provides a low resistance path for better distribution of electrical current.
Conductive Top Coat – Translucent conductive material sprayed over the entire surface which allows the electrical current to be distributed to produce light.
Encapsulating Clear or Encapsulating Top Coat– Automotive grade speed clear coat to protect LumiLor from elements, contamination, and ultra-violet (UV) rays. It also encapsulates the electrical current within the LumiLor system to protect from electrical shock and provides a surface for optional top coating.
Properties of LumiLor
- Cool to the touch even when emitting light
- Thin. It has a thickness of approximately 4.6 mils when applied according to specifications
- Is flexible up to nearly 180 degrees
- Reliable with no filament to break
- Highly visible at great distances and in darkness, smoke, fog etc.
- Easy to look at, pleasing to the eye
- Low on energy consumption
What Color is LumiLor when Lit and Unlit?
- Green
- Aqua
- Blue
- White
- Yellow
- Pink
- Violet
- Orange
Top Coats, Opacity, Transparency, and Light.
Opaque top coats are used to hide the light you want to block.Transparent paints, such as pearls and candies, can be used to tint the color.
The heavier a transparent top coat is applied the more light it will block.
Experiment with how your top coat appears with LumiLor in both the ‘on’ and ‘off’ states.
What Determines the Color of LumiLor?
What Can LumiLor Be Applied To?
- Metal, wood, fiberglass, carbon fiber, plastic, vinyl
- Glass, rubber, HDPE plastics
How Long Will LumiLor Last?
What are the safe operating temperatures once LumiLor is applied?
What is the flexibility of LumiLor once applied?
Steps of the Standard LumiLor Application Process
- Test and prepare substrate
- Design
- area to be illuminated
- area to apply proper busbar
- connection areas
- Substrate masking
- Backplane masking
- Backplane application and testing
- Dielectric application
- LumiColor application
- Busbar masking
- Busbar application and testing
- Connector application
- Conductive Top Coat application
- Encapsulating clear application
Shelf life and storage
- Ideal storage is in an ambient temperature between 70 and 75 degrees
- DO NOT
- Allow LumiLor to FREEZE
- Store bottles and cans upside down
- Store in direct sunlight or ultraviolet light
- Shelf life
- One year from data on the bottle for Backplane, Dielectric, and LumiColor
- Six months from date on the bottle for CTC.