In article , Proctologically Violated©® says...

How I *know* this to be true is cuz I worked in a lab that did UV/spectral
analysis of compounds/enzymatic reactions, and trust me, you had to *stand
on yer laboratory ear* to transmit UV through
glassware/plasticware--glassware has to be a special quartz, and by the time
I left, very special plastics were just being developed that could transmit
any amount of UV at all. Quartz = special plastics = SUPER expensive.

As an ex-lighting phosphor spectroscopist I have to say you are
spot on. The easiest way to see if something absorbs UV in the
wavelength of interest is to simply illuminate it with that
light. If it flouresces, it's absorbing UV.

Most glass will do that, this is one reason that photogray lenses
in eyeglasses don't work (get dark) inside a car with the windows
up. The color centers don't form because there's no UV getting
inside.

Quartz that transmitts deep into the UV (beyond 254 nm) and does not
flouresce is mostly "Suprasil" which is a special, low -OH version.
Sapphire is also a good choice where UV transmitting windows are
called for and is even stronger that quartz.

I still use a fair amount of single crystal aluminum oxide (sapphire)
for special sample holders. It has a bunch of neat enginnering
properties.

Jim


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