Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/11/08

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Subject: [Leica] OT: Fixing radioactive lenses
From: chs2018 at med.cornell.edu (Chris Saganich)
Date: Thu Nov 8 08:19:20 2007
References: <27347376-1AD0-40B7-B526-32A6572F1A6D@comcast.net>

I believe low-E glass coatings suppress infrared, either way those coatings 
don't do much for UV.  The UV you would need to reverse the coloration 
would be quite a bit more then found on a windowsill.  About one month 
continuous 24/7 exposure would do the trick.  Best to get a UV lamp and a 
tinfoil lined box.

At 05:10 PM 11/7/2007, you wrote:
>I have an old Pentax 50/1.4 Super Takumar that has, over time,
>yellowed due to one of the elements containing Thorium, a mildly
>radioactive element. The addition of thorium makes a very high
>refractive index glass, and a very good lens. This lens is probably
>one of the most famous lenses with this element but I'm sure there
>were more.
>
>The fix for removing the yellow cast to the lens is to expose it to a
>UV source like sunlight or a UV light for a week or more. I have been
>putting the lens in a window during the day and exposed to a black
>light at night.
>
>My question is concerning the glass used in my windows. They are made
>of high E glass and have an air space between the double panes. I
>know high E glass is supposed to suppress  Infra Red but I see no
>info on if it passes Ultra Violet which is at the opposite end of the
>light spectrum. Does anybody know?
>
>Thanks,
>Len
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Leica Users Group.
>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information

Chris Saganich, Sr. Physicist
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
New York Presbyterian Hospital
chs2018@med.cornell.edu
Ph. 212.746.6964
Fax. 212.746.4800
Office A-0049 



Replies: Reply from len-1 at comcast.net (Leonard Taupier) ([Leica] OT: Fixing radioactive lenses)
In reply to: Message from len-1 at comcast.net (Leonard Taupier) ([Leica] OT: Fixing radioactive lenses)