Partnership for the Advancement of Chemical Technology

Ultraviolet Light Kits for Science Students

• Objective
• Background
• How ETAC Helped
• Results/Benefits

Objective
To develop ultraviolet light kits for "hands-on" experiments that allow students to apply classroom theory to the real world.

Background
In the summer of 1998, a workshop on "The Electromagnetic Spectrum and its Application in Coating and Curing" was presented to teachers by the Partnership for the Advancement of Chemical Technology (PACT), in conjunction with the National Science Foundation, Northampton Community College (NCC) and the Electrotechnology Applications Center (ETAC). Participants in the workshop expressed a need for ultraviolet (UV) light kits for students in grade 10 through college freshmen. The goal was for the kits to complement teachers' science lessons.

How ETAC Helped
After being awarded a Pittsburgh Conference Memorial National College Grant (PCMNCG) and additional funding from NCC, ETAC developed portable, demonstrative UV light kits. ETAC developed a prototype and prepared five kits for distribution and evaluation by teachers from several local high schools. ETAC also provided a 70-page manual with supplemental technical information, two UV lamps and materials for six experiments with each kit.

The kit included:

• Review of the electromagnetic spectrum and areas of the spectrum generally used for industrial heating processes;
• Formulation and application of UV curable coatings and the UV coating process;
• Safety precautions, such as potential health and physical hazards, general handling guidelines and personal protective equipment;
• Hands-on" demonstrations using UV curable adhesives, coatings and inks;
• Resources to learn about UV light and related topics such as electronics, environmental science, fluorescence, visible light, optics, polymers, printing, safety and radio frequency energy; and
• Experiments for UV curable adhesives for glass and plastic bonding, UV curable coatings for circuit boards and metals, UV curable inks and fluorescence.

Although the kit was originally designed for chemistry classes, the UV light kit can be applied in physics and material sciences as well. The kits were field tested for evaluation by teachers and students during the 2001-2002 school year. The prototype kit remains at the ETAC facility for demonstration of the technology to small businesses.

ETAC was able to develop the UV light kits because of funding and support from the Pittsburgh Conference Memorial National College Grant Program (PCMNCG) and NCC. These programs offer the following services and support:

• PCMNCG: The PCMNCG program serves as a memorial to deceased members of the Pittsburgh Conference Committee by promoting excellence in science education. This program provides grants to small colleges for the purchase of equipment and course materials to enhance their science curricula.
• NCC: The Northampton Community College Foundation was one of the first foundations in the country devoted to raising private funds to enhance educational opportunities for students at the community college. Since its inception in 1969, the Foundation has attracted investments from foundations, local businesses, industrial and commercial businesses, alumni, employees and friends of the College. With the support and generosity of donors, NCC provides high-quality, lifelong learning opportunities to individuals, businesses and community organizations.

Results/Benefits
By developing a UV light kit for students, ETAC applied technology-based learning and associating theory with real-world technology. The kit ultimately provided students with insight into technology and its effect on the world. By using the kit in lessons and experimentation, teachers provide students with the following:

• Environmental awareness: Newer technology, such as UV curing, reduces the environmental impact by significantly reducing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and improving air quality.
• Safety and health implications: Safety was stressed to help students understand the health and physical hazards of using UV radiant in the curing process, and developing chemical hygiene practices.
• Enjoyment of science: Relating theory to real-world technology, performing "hands-on" experiments and offering a variety of topics helped to make science and learning fun for the students.

For more information on the success of the UV lights kits in the classroom and its applications in other settings, contact us.

Note: ETAC has received approval from the organizations above to disclose its name and specific information about its case.