Very soon, Cyalume sticks (aka glow sticks) will be history. MPK CO. has invented a new kind of light source called Litroenergy that acts somewhat like a glow stick, but lasts more than 12 years without ever needing a recharge. No electricity nor solar exposure required!
“The Litrospheres are not effected by heat or cold, and are 5,000-pound crush resistant. They can be injection molded or added to paint. The fill rate of Litroenergy micro particles in plastic injection molding material or paint is about 20%. The constant light gives off no U.V. rays, and can be designed to emit almost any color of light desired.”
Safe, consistent, and eco-friendly. Litroenergy could possibly save billions of dollars for the world.
But smart netizens has dug out Litroenergy’s patent application, and it says the active ingredient used is Tritium. That is the tricky part - United States has a ban on the import of Tritium, probably due to its radioactive nature.
Do you think this product will ever materialize?
May 21st, 2008 at 9:55 pm
It’s unlikely that the regulatory agencies will permit the widespread dispersion of even a microcuries of even a weak beta emmitter without a license.
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:21 pm
I seem to remember that Radium based light was the latest and greatest thing once and then workers in watch factories started dropping like flies.
May 27th, 2008 at 1:47 am
I can’t wait to drape myself in a poncho made out of a banned radioactive substance!
Especially when it will keep glowing 11 years after it kills me.
Outstanding.
Still no cure for cancer… or will it?
May 27th, 2008 at 5:02 am
12 and a half years…oh will you look at that, it’s the half-life of tritium!
I thought the days of making products that kill consumers was over, namely the use of radioactive substances in stuff like that. Oh wait, do we still put lead in paint?
May 27th, 2008 at 9:01 am
http://peswiki.com/index.php/Directory:MPK_Co’s_Litroenergy
Actually it is safe. I would not mind having that kind of a poncho for CERT. Though it is a radio active material that they use in this stuff, it is still safe. This is why I say this: The material is encased in a glass or polymer “Micro-sphere” and the radioactivity is not strong enough to penetrate this material. Now you might be thinking, “great so part of the poncho gets crushed and I get radiated; believe it or not but when you get down to the “micro” or “nano” scales of things normal physics starts not to apply. Now what does this mean… Well this means that the “spheres” are extremely durable, the “5,000 pound crush resistant” feature they stress in this article means that none of the “micro-spheres” will break unless you put 5,000+ Lb. of force on the object. To tell you the truth, I believe this to be a modest rating and should be more around the range of 8,000-9,000 Lbs. Now this seems like a very good Idea and should be used for all of the advantages it has to offer. Imagine, construction workers lives saved because he/she no longer had to rely on light reflectors. No one would have a hard time seeing pedestrians on bikes because it glows, or even finding lost hikers in the dark because they were wearing a glowing poncho. This is a product that shows progress in human ingenuity!
May 27th, 2008 at 9:09 am
have they actually tested this for 12 years? (if they have not, it should be consider bias)
if it really works, then it’s very badass that we can put in place where we don’t need electron.
June 9th, 2008 at 11:20 am
well this will sure be the “next big bang”
June 29th, 2008 at 11:20 am
Hang on, if I put photcells around this stuff . . . a 12 year watch battery? Neat.
NASA would benefit from this stuff too.
July 13th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
I like the idea, but the problem seems to be tough. it the United States would continue doing that, I supposed to explore this litroenergy would be an impossible thing to do. I hope the experts do something about this. If it would be a great hep for us, then they must consider
July 13th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
I feel glad knowing this thing you have here. but it seems that to materialize the use of such would be impossible if the United States would continue to ban Tritium. I hope experts would do something about the matter and must not let this happen, if such would really be helpful for us.