麻豆传媒

Do your dayglo T-shirts fade quickly in the wash? Matsui Shikiso Chemical
Company of Kyoto says it can make luminous pigments more waterproof, letting
them stay brighter for longer (GB 2 341 869). Calcium sulphide glows in the
dark, but only for a short time unless doped with radioactive chemicals. The new
idea is to dope strontium aluminate powder with a rare-earth metal, add
phosphoric acid and heat to 70 掳C for four hours. The acid is then run off,
and replaced by sodium hydroxide for four hours. After drying, the powder has
鈥渢remendously increased鈥� water resistance, and is said to glow in the dark for
far longer.