White95Max
New member
Do you guys think red (or any other specific color) fades faster than other colors? Or is it just that red is the most obvious when it's faded/fading?
Fading colors
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Black240SX
New member
Yes, I believe it does fade more. Red paint absorbs blue light, which has more energy than other parts of the spectrum.
Setec Astronomy
Well-known member
Yeah, in my experience SS red was terrible for oxidation.
White95Max
New member
Well I just found the answer. It goes along with what 240 said, but red isn't the only color to absorb blue light. Any color other than blue will absorb blue light.
Red is at the longest-wavelength end of the spectrum, which is the lowest energy level. Since pigments absorb every color except the one they reflect, red absorbs the most overall energy of any color.
More energy absorbed causes the molecules to be more excited, and easier to undergo chemical reactions.
But this only makes obvious sense to SS red. What about clearcoat red? Since the UV radiation is supposedly absorbed by the inhibitors in the clear, do clearcoated reds fade any faster than other clearcoated colors?
Red is at the longest-wavelength end of the spectrum, which is the lowest energy level. Since pigments absorb every color except the one they reflect, red absorbs the most overall energy of any color.
More energy absorbed causes the molecules to be more excited, and easier to undergo chemical reactions.
But this only makes obvious sense to SS red. What about clearcoat red? Since the UV radiation is supposedly absorbed by the inhibitors in the clear, do clearcoated reds fade any faster than other clearcoated colors?
Setec Astronomy
Well-known member
Those chemical reactions you are talking about are largely oxidation and other reactions with the air. Since with BC/CC the red paint is not in contact with the air, it's largely protected.
Black240SX
New member
My understanding is that paints primarily absorb light in the complementary colour. For example, red paint absorbs blue light. The other colours that are reflected cancel each other out and don't have much effect on the hue. Paint that absorbed all except red would appear almost black.
White95Max
New member
Black240SX said:
Pigments display whatever color they do not absorb. Whatever is not reflected, is absorbed. Or that's what I've read.
imported_Denzil
New member
White95Max said:
Pigments display whatever color they do not absorb. Whatever is not reflected, is absorbed. Or that's what I've read.
Colors in the spectrum near red aren't absorbed as much compared to those that are furthest from red.
Black240SX
New member
White95Max said:
If you divide the visible spectrum up into red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet, you'll see that the red component is about 1/7th of white light. So paint that reflected just red would be quite dark.
Paint that absorbs just blue will appear light red. It's the lack of blue which makes the red component stand out.
4830Deuce
Burn Then Buff!
GOD! I feel like im in my color theory class....geez....I have nothing to add to this :geez ...
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