Explaining UV-protected materials

Compiled by Juli Case

My company makes temporary shelters, and I’m wondering: When the product literature on a fabric says that the material has been UV protected, does that mean the fabric itself has been protected or that it offers protection from sunlight?

Given enough time, sunlight tends to degrade a lot of fabrics, so it’s most likely that the product literature you’re reading means that the fabric has been treated with some sort of UV inhibitor that will help it hold up longer under the sunlight. Some shade cloths do give indications of shade factors, or how much of the sunlight they block, but that’s not necessarily the same thing as “UV protected.”

Juli Case is IFAI’s information and technical services manager.