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.

LumiLor

What is LumiLor?

LumiLor is a patented Light Emitting Coating (LEC) system which allows anything coated with it to illuminate.
LumiLor works with electroluminescence (EL), an optical and electrical phenomenon in which a material emits light in response to an electric current.

 

Zsinko started researching ways of making his idea a reality, and by June 2010 he already had a prototype that he used to paint a 1976 Kawasaki Police 1000 motorcycle, which he showed off to his friends.
LumiLor
Their jaws dropped to the floor when he flipped a switch and the paint started glowing, and that’s how Darkside Scientific, the company behind LumiLor, was born.
Unfortunately, Andy Zsinko passed away in 2015, but his legacy lives on in the team he left behind, dedicated individuals who share his goals and aspirations.
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

Because LumiLor paint is activated by an electrical current, the intensity of the glowing effect can be controlled via smartphone app, which also comes with preset effects, like strobe, sequencing or motion and sound activation. Just think of the cool things you could do with it…

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.

LumiLor

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

LumiLor homepage (Medina, Ohio headquarters)

https://www.lumilor.com/

 

Facebook

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

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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

LumiLor is:
  • 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?

LumiLor is available in eight colors, these are colors you see when LumiLor is lit.
  • Green
  • Aqua
  • Blue
  • White
  • Yellow
  • Pink
  • Violet
  • Orange
Unlit LumiLor appears as a gray hue, similar to an automotive primer.
Red tones can be achieved by top coating LumiLor with tinted clear coats or colored top coats such as candies and pearls, or even with hydrographics. This is typically applied over white LumiLor to provide the most true color effect.  Always test top coats on a sample to see how they will look.

Top Coats, Opacity, Transparency, and Light.

LumiLor emits light and anything placed over LumiLor will absorb a certain amount of light.
Think in terms of opaque (blocks light) and transparent (light passes through).

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.

Artwork can be applied over LumiLor including hydrodipping, spray chrome, airbrush, etc.

What Determines the Color of LumiLor?

The zinc sulfide, ZnS, phosphor crystals used in LumiLor get their emission colors by being altered (also known as ‘doped’) with metals. For example, green LumiColor is doped with copper.  The dopant metal in the phosphor crystals serves to focus the electrostatic field enabling spontaneous emission to occur. Because the photon emission color for copper is green, the light emitted is green.

What Can LumiLor Be Applied To?

LumiLor can be applied to any non-porous substrate including but not limited to
  • Metal, wood, fiberglass, carbon fiber, plastic, vinyl
Adhesion promoters can be used on a substrate but must have automotive clear applied over it before the LumiLor application begins.
  • Glass, rubber, HDPE plastics
Click here for specific instructions on substrate preparation.

How Long Will LumiLor Last?

The lifespan of LumiLor is dependent on how much power is applied and the native LumiLor color used. More power equals brighter light but a shorter half life.
‘Half life’ is not an indication of total useful life. LumiLor will degrade in brightness up to the half life, and then plateau. There are documented applications of electroluminescence using materials identical to the main components of LumiLor where the useful life of the product has been measured over 10,000 hours, and in some up to 50,000 hours.
Charging and discharging LumiLor does not affect the half-life. LumiLor only degrades towards its half life when it is charged.

What are the safe operating temperatures once LumiLor is applied?

LumiLor operates safely between -40℉ and 180℉ or -40℃ to 82℃.

What is the flexibility of LumiLor once applied?

LumiLor can be rolled back 180 degrees. Folding will cause cracking in the materials.

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.

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