| A glow stick is a sheer plastic tube that produces a | | | | of the dye and a derivate of phenyl oxalate ester |
| brilliant light. A glowstick is also known as glow tube or | | | | (cyalume) and the inner brittle part contains |
| light stick or glow light stick. | | | | concentrated hydrogen peroxide. |
| A glow stick is typically a plastic cylindrical rod about | | | | A ferocious reaction takes place on mixing the |
| four or five inches (10 to 13 cm) long and less than an | | | | peroxide with the phenyl oxalate ester. The ester is |
| inch (2.5 cm) in diameter. The transparent stick | | | | oxidized, giving out 2 molecules of phenol and 1 |
| contains two chemical fluids in two different | | | | molecule of peroxyacid ester. The peroxyacid |
| compartments. The outer compartment of the tube | | | | decomposes spontaneously to carbon dioxide, |
| carries one chemical fluid and the inner compartment | | | | releasing energy that excites the dye that then |
| carries the other. The inner compartment is brittle either | | | | de-excites by releasing a photon. The wavelength of |
| made of glass or brittle plastic. | | | | the photon depends on the structure of the dye. |
| The inner brittle part breaks on bending the glowstick | | | | Different dyes can be used to produce different color |
| and helps inter mingling the two chemical fluids. A | | | | lights. The 9,10-bis (phenylethynyl) anthracene gives |
| fierce chemical reaction takes place emitting bright light | | | | green light, 9,10-diphenylanthracene emits blue light, |
| but not necessarily heat. | | | | 5,6,11,12-tetraphenylnaphthacene emit red light. The |
| The glowsticks are used in the military, recreational | | | | glowsticks dyes usually emit fluorescent light when |
| driving at night, marching bands at night, entertainment | | | | exposed to ultraviolet radiation. Therefore even a |
| parties, raves, concerts, dance clubs, Halloween eves | | | | spent glowstick shines under a black light. |
| etc. The glowsticking is the use of glowsticks in dance. | | | | The other chemicals used in glow sticks may include |
| Chemistry: | | | | sodium salicylate as a catalyst, bis (2-ethylhexyl) |
| The phenomenon of the chemical reaction in the glow | | | | phthalate (DCHP) as a solvent, bis (phenyl) oxalate, bis |
| sticks is known as chemiluminescence. The chemicals | | | | (2,4,5-trichlorophenyl-6-carbopentoxyphenyl) oxalate |
| used to create the reaction in glow sticks are usually | | | | (CPPO). |
| hydrogen peroxide and a mixture of phenyl oxalate | | | | The chemical reaction gets accelerated on heating a |
| ester and the fluorescent dye. The fluorescent dye | | | | glow stick and the glowstick glows brighter, but for a |
| gives the glow stick its color. | | | | shorter span. The cooling on the contrary decelerates |
| The outer compartment of the tube contains a mixture | | | | the reaction that helps a sick glow longer, but dimmer. |