Strontium aluminate SrAl2O4:Eu2+,Dy3+ phosphors are chemically unstable against water or even moisture. To enhance the water resistance of the phosphors, an encapsulation was performed by direct surface reactions with phosphoric acid (H3PO4). The morphology, surface structure, surface element composition, water resistance, luminescence, and photoacoustic spectrum of the phosphors before and after encapsulation were discussed. Experimental results showed that phosphors were perfectly encapsulated by amorphous layers in nanoscale and crystalline layers in microscale under different conditions. The water resistance of phosphors was greatly enhanced by the two types of layer. More importantly, the amorphous layers enhanced the luminescence of phosphors markedly. The possible mechanism for the enhancements was also proposed. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.