Light transmission of Canvacon ® Polymer Fabric

Light transmission of Canvacon ® Polymer Fabric

A premium quality polyfabric designed for a range of industrial and agricultural purposes to suit your needs – whatever they may be.

A versatile solution.

Canvacon ® is a woven, polyethylene based fabric that can be employed for a variety of applications.

Canvacon's ® dynamic strength to weight performance, high tear resistance and excellent welding characteristics make it an ideal choice for industrial purposes. Strong watertight seams and durable moisture barriers allow for its use in wet conditions.

Each of its applications - whether as pond liner or dome shelter - require unique light needs.

Degree of light transmission.

Canvacon ® transmits a specific degree of natural light depending on the colour of the fabric. As a rule of thumb, the lighter the colour of the fabric, the more visible light passes through. This is not limited to visible light; invisible and UV light may also be transmitted.

This can be seen in the table below:

Colour Cover Factor Av. % Transmission Shade Factor Av. UVR Transmission Av. PAR Transmission % UVR Block

Ice Blue 

100% 10.6% 89.4% 0.2% 14.3% 99.8%

Blue

100% 2.8% 97.2% 0.0% 3.8% 100.0%

Yellow

100% 13.7% 86.3% 0.7% 18.3% 99.3%

Green

100% 7.3% 99.3% 0.0% 0.9% 100.0%

Beige

100% 2.1% 97.9% 0.0% 2.8% 100.0%

Silver/White

100% 2.5% 97.5% 0.1% 3.4% 99.9%

White

100% 15.3% 84.7% 0.2% 20.7% 99.8%

Silver/Green

100% 0.3% 99.7% 0.0% 0.3% 100.0%

 

Photosynthetically Active Radiation.

Increasing or limiting light transmission depends on the fabric's purpose. For example, Canvacon ® is often used as ground covers or protective sheeting. This application helps protect plant life which still needs to grow.

In order to provide adequate light to the plants, people may request light transmission data or Photo‑synthetically Active Radiation (PAR) information. 

PAR is used to describe a certain range of light which is responsible for photosynthesis (plant growth).

The test used to determine light transmission is conducted in a laboratory according to Australian Standard AS 4174 – Synthetic Shadecloth.

Due to Canvacon ® being a coated fabric, the standard cannot be considered perfectly aligned with its fabric properties. However, it serves as a useful guide for selecting fabrics based on colour performance.

Depending on the exact species, different plants respond to differing levels and colour of light. While it is difficult to recommend an exact shade, colours can be used as a guide to light transmission: it is likely that a silver/green shade (0.3% PAR) is a good choice for sun-dependent plants.

To read more about Canvacon's ® light transmission capabilities and how the fabric is tested download the information sheet today.

If you would like to learn more about the technical specifications of Canvacon ®, visit our product page for more information.