METHOD AND DEVICE FOR SELECTING LOW-PRESSURE MERCURY DISCHARGE LAMPS

摘要

The invention relates to a method of selecting low-pressure mercury discharge lamps each provided with a discharge vessel which supports a luminescent layer on an inner surface, by which method the luminescent layer is excited and the low-pressure mercury discharge lamps are selected in dependence on the emission spectrum of the light radiated by the luminescent layer. The invention also relates to a device for selecting low-pressure mercury discharge lamps which are each provided with a discharge vessel supporting a luminescent layer on an inner surface, which device is provided with an excitation source for exciting the luminescent layers of the low-pressure mercury discharge lamps to be selected and with detection means for detecting the light radiated by the low-pressure mercury discharge lamps to be selected. According to the invention, the selection process comprises at least one step in which it is determined from previously defined portions of the emission spectrum whether or not the luminescent layer contains a given luminescent material. It was found to be possible by means of this selection criterion to subdivide the luminescent layers into a small number of groups, each group being capable of recycling in a simple manner and with a high yield.