Abstract: A method for separating mercurial waste from scrapped gas discharge lamp bulbs and other mercury-containing lamps. Expanded, broken lamps are crushed and conveyed to a vibrating screen. The crushed material is shaken on a sieve-cloth having a mesh width of 0.2-1.0 mm, preferably 0.25 mm, for at least 1-3 minutes. The major part of the crushed material remains on the screen and is removed therefrom as mercury-free waste (Hg-content<10 ppm), whereas substantially all the mercury present is found in the finer fraction which passes through the screen.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recovering the luminescent material from a mercury vapor electric discharge lamp, or like lamps, in which the ends of the lamp bulb or tube are separated from the intermediate bulb part (22) subsequent to equalizing the pressure in the lamp. The luminescent material (30) is loosened from the inner wall surface of the bulb part (22) with the aid of a stripping device (27) which is arranged to be inserted into the bulb part (22) from one end (26) thereof, and in which the loosened material is collected with the aid of a suction device (25) connected to the other end (23) of the bulb part. The stripping device (27) comprises a stripping head (29) mounted on one end of a rod (28). The rod (28) is arranged to move the stripping head (29) backwards and forwards in the bulb part (22), the stripping head (29) being guided in a manner to form an annular gap between the head and the wall of the bulb part.