Abstract: Phosphor-containing coating compositions and methods capable of changing the lumen maintenance characteristics of phosphor-containing coatings and fluorescent lamps that utilize such coatings. Lumen maintenance of a fluorescent lamp can be modified by forming a phosphor-containing coating to contain at least a first phosphor that depreciates during operation of the fluorescent lamp, and forming the phosphor-containing coating to further contain an additive composition in a sufficient amount and sufficiently uniformly distributed in the phosphor-containing coating to inhibit depreciation of the first phosphor during operation of the fluorescent lamp.

Abstract: A green emitting phosphor composition is disclosed. A phosphor composition of formula Ca1?xEuxAlB3O7, where 0<x<0.5 is formed from combining calcium carbonate, boron oxide, aluminum oxide, and europium oxide; and then firing the combination. A lighting apparatus including the phosphor composition is also provided. The phosphor composition may be combined with an additional phosphor to generate white light.

Abstract: A lighting apparatus having a phosphor material radiationally coupled to a light source is presented. The phosphor material includes a green emitting phosphor composition of general formula I: R3?x?zMxCezT5?yNyO12?x?yFx+y; where 0?x<3.0; 0?y<5.0, 0<z?0.30; and if x=0, then y>0 or if y=0, then x>0; R is Y, Tb, Gd, La, Lu or a combination thereof; T is Al, Sc, Ga, In or combinations thereof; M is Ca, Sr, Ba or a combination thereof; N is Mg, Zn or a combination thereof. The phosphor composition of formula I may be combined with an additional phosphor to generate white light.

Abstract: Described are methods and apparatus for providing fluorescent lamps having a two-layer phosphor coating that includes a base coating and a top coating that economically provides a high color rendering index (CRI) of at least 87 with improved brightness. In an embodiment, a low-pressure discharge lamp includes a light transmissive envelope having a basecoat phosphor layer disposed on an inner surface, wherein the basecoat phosphor layer includes less than ten percent weight of a rare earth phosphor. Also included is a topcoat phosphor layer on a surface of the base coat phosphor layer that includes a blend of at least red, green, green-blue and blue emitting rare earth phosphors, and a fill gas composition within the light transmissive envelope.

Abstract: Phosphor particles, methods for their use to produce fluorescent lamps, and fluorescent lamps that make use of such particles. Such a phosphor particle has a core surrounded by a shell, and the shell contains GdMgB5O10 doped (activated) with at least terbium ions as a rare earth-containing phosphor composition that absorbs ultraviolet photons to emit green-spectrum light. The core is formed of a mineral material that is chemically compatible with the rare earth-containing phosphor composition of the shell, but does not contain intentional additions of terbium.

Abstract: A coating system for a fluorescent lamp, and fluorescent lamps provided therewith. The coating system includes a phosphor-containing coating containing a mixture of phosphors that contain less than 10% weight rare earth phosphors. The phosphor-containing coating emits visible light having a color rendering index of at least 87 when excited by UV radiation.

Abstract: Phosphor particles, methods for their use to produce fluorescent lamps, and fluorescent lamps that make use of such particles. Such a phosphor particle has a core surrounded by a shell, and the shell contains GdMgB5O10 doped (activated) with at least terbium ions as a rare earth-containing phosphor composition that absorbs ultraviolet photons to emit green-spectrum light. The core is formed of a mineral material that is chemically compatible with the rare earth-containing phosphor composition of the shell, but does not contain intentional additions of terbium.

Abstract: A fluorescent lamp is provided including a phosphor blend comprising less than about 10% by weight rare earth phosphor, based on the total weight of the phosphor composition. This phosphor blend, when coated on a lamp, provides a lamp that exhibits high color rendering index (CRI), of at least 87, while simultaneously achieving low CCT, of less than about 4500K, i.e. of between about 3000K and 4500K. The phosphor system provided includes a non-rare earth strontium red broad band phosphor, a non-rare earth blue broad band halophosphor, and a rare earth-doped green-blue emitting phosphor, more specifically, a combination of SAR and blue-halo non-rare earth phosphors, and less than 20 wt % BAMn phosphor, based on the total weight of the phosphor system.

Abstract: A fluorescent lamp includes a phosphor composition comprising: Y2O3:Eu3+ (YEO); at least one of LaPO4:Ce3+, Tb3+ (LAP), MgAl11O19:Ce3+, Tb3+ (CAT) or GdMgB5O10:Ce3+, Tb3+ (CBT); a special BAMn phosphor, (Ba,Sr,Ca)(Mg1-xMnx)Al10O17:Eu2+, with a specific amount of Mn (x) as disclosed herein, and optionally halophosphor, with the proviso that there is no BaMgAl10O17:Eu2+ (BAM).

Abstract: Coating systems suitable for use in fluorescent lamps, particularly as scattering agents within a UV-reflecting coating for the purpose of improving fluorescent lamp luminosity. Such a coating system is provided on a transparent or translucent substrate and includes a phosphor coating and a scattering agent that scatters UV rays. The scattering agent includes an inorganic powder present in a separate UV-reflecting layer adjacent the phosphor coating and/or dispersed in the phosphor coating so that the scattered UV rays are absorbed by the phosphor coating and cause the phosphor coating to emit visible light. The inorganic powder exhibits low or no absorption to UV rays having wavelengths of 185 nm and 254 nm and is not reactive with mercury.

Abstract: Mercury vapor discharge fluorescent lamps are provided. The lamp can include a lamp envelope enclosing a discharge space and having an inner surface. First and second electrodes can be positioned on the lamp, such as on opposite ends of the lamp envelope. An ionizable medium that includes mercury and an inert gas can be within said lamp envelope. A phosphor layer can be on the inner surface of the lamp envelope. The phosphor layer generally includes a phosphor blend of a calcium halophosphor, a blue phosphor having an emission peak at about 440 nm to about 490 nm, a blue-green phosphor having an emission peak at about 475 nm to about 530 nm, and a red phosphor having an emission peak at about 600 nm to about 650 nm.

Abstract: A coating system for a fluorescent lamp, and fluorescent lamps provided therewith. The coating system includes a phosphor-containing coating containing a mixture of phosphors that contain less than 10% weight rare earth phosphors. The phosphor-containing coating emits visible light having a color rendering index of at least 87 when excited by UV radiation.

Abstract: A method for making coated zinc silicate phosphor, the method includes the steps of combining a zinc silicate with a rare earth compound under aqueous conditions and removing the water from a product of the combination to form a powder. The powder is fired to form a coated zinc silicate phosphor.

Abstract: A fluorescent lamp includes a phosphor composition comprising: Y2O3:Eu3+ (YEO); at least one of LaPO4:Ce3+, Tb3+ (LAP), MgAl11O19:Ce3+, Tb3+ (CAT) or GdMgB5O10:Ce3+, Tb3+ (CBT); a special BAMn phosphor, (Ba,Sr,Ca)(Mg1-xMnx)Al10O17:Eu2+, with a specific amount of Mn (x) as disclosed herein, and optionally halophosphor, with the proviso that there is no BaMgAl10O17:Eu2+ (BAM).

Abstract: Disclosed herein are lamps comprising a radiation source and a phosphor blend configured for conversion of radiation, the phosphor blend including at least two different rare earth phosphors, wherein the phosphor blend comprises at least one multimodal rare earth phosphor. Disclosed advantages may include greater lumen output than an identical lamp in which the phosphor blend, at the same loading, does not comprise at least one multimodal rare earth phosphor.

Abstract: A method of forming a phosphor composition is disclosed. The method includes mixing co-precipitated yttrium-europium oxalate with an inorganic flux material to form an oxalate-flux mixture; and heating the oxalate-flux mixture at a temperature in a range from about 800° C. to about 1400° C., to form the phosphor composition. The phosphor has a general formula of (Y1-x-yAyEux)2O3 with 0<x<1 and 0?y<1, wherein A is at least one element selected from the group consisting of gadolinium, lutetium, lanthanum, scandium and terbium.

Abstract: Described are methods and apparatus for providing fluorescent lamps having a two-layer phosphor coating that includes a base coating and a top coating that economically provides a high color rendering index (CRI) of at least 87 with improved brightness. In an embodiment, a low-pressure discharge lamp includes a light transmissive envelope having a basecoat phosphor layer disposed on an inner surface, wherein the basecoat phosphor layer includes less than ten percent weight of a rare earth phosphor. Also included is a topcoat phosphor layer on a surface of the base coat phosphor layer that includes a blend of at least red, green, green-blue and blue emitting rare earth phosphors, and a fill gas composition within the light transmissive envelope.

Abstract: This disclosure features fluorescent lamps that include a phosphor layer including at least one phosphor, which in the past has not been commercially usable in lamps or in some cases suffers from performance problems such as poor brightness. These problems of the phosphors were caused, for example, by mercury ion bombardment or exposure to 185 nm radiation from the discharge. These problems are expected to be avoided by coating particles of one or more of the phosphors, such as using atomic layer deposition in which the coating is not more than 500 nm in thickness. Examples of phosphors that can be coated are yttrium vanadate activated with europium or yttrium vanadate phosphate activated with europium. The coating can be selected from the group consisting of alumina, yttria, lanthanum oxide, magnesium aluminate spinel, magnesium oxide and combinations thereof.

Abstract: Mercury vapor discharge fluorescent lamps are provided. The lamp can include a lamp envelope enclosing a discharge space and having an inner surface. First and second electrodes can be positioned on the lamp, such as on opposite ends of the lamp envelope. An ionizable medium that includes mercury and an inert gas can be within said lamp envelope. A phosphor layer can be on the inner surface of the lamp envelope. The phosphor layer generally includes a phosphor blend of a calcium halophosphor, a blue phosphor having an emission peak at about 440 nm to about 490 nm, a blue-green phosphor having an emission peak at about 475 nm to about 530 nm, and a red phosphor having an emission peak at about 600 nm to about 650 nm.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a mercury vapor discharge lamp and methods for making same, where the lamp comprises a phosphor coating layer disposed on at least a portion of the inner surface of the lamp envelope. The phosphor coating layer comprises a phosphor composition comprising a colloidal alumina, particles comprising at least one rare earth compound, and phosphor particles, and the particles comprising at least one rare earth compound are present in the phosphor composition in an amount from about 0.5 percent to about 5 percent of the weight of the phosphor particles. The presence of colloidal alumina, the rare earth compound, and these selected phosphors may contribute to an increase at least one of lumen output or lumen maintenance for the lamp, as compared with the same mercury vapor discharge lamp comprising the same phosphor composition without colloidal alumina and without the particles comprising at least one rare earth compound.