Disclosed is an incandescent lamp that uses a carbon cycle and comprises a luminescent element which is inserted in a vacuum-tight manner in a bulb along with a filler. Said luminescent element is provided with a metal carbide whose melting point lies above that of tungsten. The distance between the luminescent element and the bulb is less than 18 mm. A first cycle for the carbon is created by using carbon and hydrogen as an additional filler while a second cycle for the metal is created by using halogen.
