What Type of Light Bulbs Have Krypton Gas Inside?
Light bulbs and air do not mix well. Oxygen and other flammable particles found in the air can destroy the filaments of incandescent bulbs. Fluorescent-like bulbs, meanwhile, don't use air at all, instead employing a mixture of specific gases to produce light. Krypton gas has uses in both types of bulbs.
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Krypton Gas
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Krypton is a pure element in the periodic table and is known as a noble gas. Other gases like xenon and neon belong to the noble family and are also very popular for lighting applications. Noble gases are largely inert and remain stable even in the presence of heat and electricity. Outside of lamp and lighting applications, krypton is rarely used commercially.
Incandescent
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Incandescent bulbs use a filament to produce light--an electric current courses through the filament, and the resistance of the tungsten creates heat and light. Most incandescent bubs use argon gas or an argon mixture inside the bulb, since normal air would drastically shorten the filament's lifespan. However, some bulbs use a krypton mixture. Krypton is better at slowing the burning process and allows the tungsten to survive even longer, but the resulting bulbs are much more costly than common incandescents.
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Halogen
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Halogen bulbs resemble incandescent lights, but include a halogen gas such as iodine. This halogen gas returns the small particles of tungsten that burn off the filament, lengthening the lifespan of the bulb significantly. Halogen bulbs tend to be smaller than ordinary incandescent bulbs, which also means it is easier and less expensive to fill them with krypton instead of argon. The krypton makes the halogen bulbs last even longer.
Neon
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Neon lights do not always use neon, but they almost always include a mixture of noble gases, along with mercury and other elements. This allows them to glow in different colors as an electrical current passes through the gas. Krypton is actually used more often in neon lights than neon itself. Krypton helps turn the neon tubes a yellowish color.
Uses
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The bright light of glowing krypton--which glows when it is energized by a current--has uses beyond simple neon signs. Because its light is bright, krypton is used in airport lights so aircraft can see runways more easily in foggy conditions. The bulbs are also used in some movie projectors as backlights.
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References
- Photo Credit ampoule electrique domestique image by Morad HEGUI from Fotolia.com
