Ultraviolet abrosbers (UVA) perform by absorbing incident UV radiation. They convert UV energy into harmless levels of heat energy, which are dissipated throughout the polymer matrix.

UV absorbers are required for natural or slightly pigmented formulations and to protect organic pigments from UV degradation.

Depending on the polymer and other ingredients such as fillers and pigments, a combination of HALS with UVA can achieve optimum cost versus performance.