Periodic graphics: The chemistry of sunglasses

Chemical educator and Compound Interest blogger Andy Brunning describes how your shades protect your eyeballs from the sun’s radiation

By Andy Brunning

Department: Science & Technology
News Channels: Materials SCENE, Organic SCENE
Keywords: sunglasses, UV protection, photochromic lenses, napthopyran, tint

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This is an infographic describing what sunglasses are made of and how they can shade a person’s eyes from UV light with chemical coatings.

To download a pdf of this article, visit http://cenm.ag/sunglasses.

To see more of Brunning’s work, go to http://compoundchem.com. To see all of C&EN’s Periodic Graphics, visit http://cenm.ag/periodicgraphics.

This article has been translated into Spanish by Divulgame.org and can be found here.

Chemical & Engineering News: ISSN 0009-2347; Copyright © American Chemical Society

Comments

KAYIIRA JOSEPH (May 9, 2016 1:04 PM)

This is good. What could be the effect of putting on sunglasses in winter?

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J. A. Beck (May 11, 2016 4:07 PM)

Years ago I put my sunglasses through a UV/Vis against air & they blocked everything. I wear them religiously whenever the sun's out, winter too. I'm almost 70, have 20/20 vision, no glaucoma, no cataracts. I credit that to wearing sunglasses since I was in my teens to protect my eyes.

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Paul Krebaum (May 19, 2016 2:54 AM)

Kayiira,

Snow is an excellent reflector of UV light, so sunglasses help protect against snow blindness and cornea damage. Water is also a good reflector. On my first trip to Arizona as a kid I spent an afternoon under an aluminum awning, but next to the in-ground pool. I wound up with a mild sunburn just from the reflected UV.

P.K.

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