![]() You can also get some pretty high wow-factor visual effects with Super-LumiNova that have much better permanence than they would have with radioluminescent pigments Bovet has used the material to great effect in the Récital 22 Grand Récital, as has MB&F in the Black Badger collab version of its Starfleet Machine. Still, it is a disadvantage of the material relative to the always-on glow of radioluminescent solutions (which is part of the appeal of Luminox and Ball). The disadvantage of Super-LumiNova in comparison to radioluminescent material is of course that its brightness fades until it's recharged by another exposure to light.Personally I've found that with most of the sports watches I've owned over the years, if my eye's dark-adapted the watch remains legible, with some difficulty, through most of the night. Radium used to be used in luminous paints, for example in clock and watch dials. It gives off alpha particles that can kill the cancerous cells. Because bones contain calcium and radium is in the same group as calcium, it can be used to target cancerous bone cells. The fields from painted numerals on clocks or a vintage wristwatch are attenuated too low to be a health hazard.Strontium aluminate is a much more efficient phosphor than zinc sulfide – it's about ten times as bright and glows about ten times longer and the color can vary between various shades of green and blue, with blue supposedly producing the longest glow time, and green offering better brightness. Radium-223 is sometimes used to treat prostate cancer that has spread to the bones. Although one would have to either ingest, inhale or absorb it. What I’m trying to say, is YES, Alpha is dangerous. The tragic deaths of young women from cancers working in clock and watch factories early 20th century). (A great read is: “Radium Girls’ by Kate Moore. Although its a low field, once in position, will cause long term damage. Once inside the body, radium in this case, mimics calcium and gravitates to bone. ![]() Where Alpha is dangerous is if the path of uptake oral. (Neutron a fourth, but too specialized to deal with here). ![]() There’s three forms of radioactive emissions. Although my job duties seldom dealt with radioactivity. Therefore clocks produced after the 1970s had safer luminous material applied to the dials but modern alarm clocks are not nearly as attractive as antique clocks from the 1920s or so.Ĭlocks with luminous radium dials are certainly a danger to avoid and as far as I am concerned, not worth the risk. In the past several years radium dials have largely been replaced by phosphorescent – or occasionally tritium-based light sources. If working on a clock with a radium dial care should be taken to prevent the inhalation or ingestion of flakes or dust which may contain radioactive materials. Since radium has a half-life of hundreds of years even old radium dials are very hazardous. Antique “alarm” clock mechanism from around 1900 I understand the potential danger of radium and that is why I confine my collecting to alarm clocks with non-luminous dials only.Įven a clock that has lost its luminescence may still have traces of radium on its dial or particulate matter that has fallen from the clock face which makes them equally as dangerous. German musical alarm clock or JokerĪs a clock collector, I have a limited number of alarm clocks none of which have luminous dials. Westclox LaSalle non-luminous alarm clockĪs a matter of fact, it reminded me of the number of times I have been in antique and junk stores and have seen clocks with luminous dials and the danger I might have faced during a brief exposure, say within a meter or so and the more serious danger of being irradiated had I purchased and serviced them. I assured her that I know of no maker of mantel, shelf, or long case clocks that used radium on their dials but had there been alarm clocks, wristwatches, and even antique compasses on display her concerns would have been justified. ![]() She was concerned that a number of clocks offered for sale at a local antique store had radium dials. I received an email from a blog fan this week who posed an interesting question.
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