What’s better than xenon?

[Juggernaut]

I was pondering over how LED technology keeps evolving while Incan technology stays mostly the same. We really only get better lights when battery technology allows us to pull more from batteries. So my question it what if we found a better gas? Would it make much of a difference? Once there was a time were kryptonite bulbs were a big step forward than halogen and xenon. Well is there anything out there better than xenon?

 

[Illum]

I've always figured the same for radon...theres so much of this stuff here and there. why can't me make the homeowner's loss the flashlight's gain? Hey, why not tritium?:laughing:

I never figured out why lamps focused on xenon over everything else, argon is supposedly the third most abundant gas in your enviroment, why not use that:candle:

 

[LuxLuthor]

Halogen refers to a category of "highly reactive" specific elements (Fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, & astatine), that have the same state at standard temp & pressure. This Osram page explains why it is used.

Xenon is a whole other gas with different color temperature and properties. Xenon is one of the "Noble" inert (low reactivity) gases.

 

[mdocod]

Argon is common in bulbs, especially regular "cheap" home lighting bulbs.

I think IRC technology represents the most substantial leap taken lately on the front if incandescent efficiency. It's really not far behind LEDs [efficiency wise]* if you drive it hard enough.

*edited in

 

[lctorana]

First light bulbs: Carbon Filament

Next big breakthrough: hard vacuum

Next big breakthrough: Tungsten filament

Next big breakthrough: Coiled-coil tungsten filament

Next big breakthrough: Nitrogen fill

Next big breakthrough: Argon fill

Next big breakthrough: Krypton fill

Next big breakthrough: Halogen bulbs

Next big breakthrough: Xenon fill

Next big breakthrough: High-pressure Xenon fill

Next big breakthrough: Both Halogen AND high-pressure Xenon

Future big breakthrough: Radon fill????????????

 

[Aussie Cheese]

radon is mildly radioactive, not something you want to carry in your pocket

 

[jchoo]

So is tritium, but that doesn't stop us. So long as they don't go back to radium based paint. :sick2:

 

[lctorana]

radon is mildly radioactive

Is it? I didn't know that.

(googling)

The first two paragraphs of the current Wiki article puts that beyond doubt.

 

[Aussie Cheese]

So is tritium, but that doesn't stop us. So long as they don't go back to radium based paint. :sick2:

the radiation from tritium is converted to light via a spin forbidden transition and phosphor, so minimal radiation comes out into the world, where as if you fill a glass vial with radon its a different story

 

[Juggernaut]

See these are all good ideas, there is no reason why Incans should be left out of development. You've talked about Radon, what about element 118, Ok so no ones had any of it for more that 1:1000's of a second before it decayed, but to say it was possible to stabilize, how would it work, not only is it the heaviest gas, but it's a noble gas like xenon to.

Also there is roles I'm sure Radon could fill as for as being a viable source for a gas in a bulb "wow that was wordy" like in a Imax projector bulb, just set up some lead around it, it wouldn't have to go anywhere. Than some day people might invent radioactive proof glass "probably not but you never know".

 

[Illum]

radon is a naturally created gas from radioactive decay in the earth. I know there are detection and removal devices created to free basements or storage sheds of it, but I dunno where it goes or how they manage to convert it to something less toxic...

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

I've always figured the same for radon...theres so much of this stuff here and there. why can't me make the homeowner's loss the flashlight's gain? Hey, why not tritium?:laughing:

I never figured out why lamps focused on xenon over everything else, argon is supposedly the third most abundant gas in your enviroment, why not use that:candle:

Simply because Argon bulbs are crap. You want to go back to pre-Kripton bulbs then be my guest. Xenon and halogen are the best there are (for compact flashlights).

 

[davidt]

Re: What's better than xenon?

I wonder what the results would be if they used helium.

 

[Illum]

the sun fuses two hydrogens into one helium....supposedly carbon and oxygen originated from the fusion of two more more heliums. Is it possible to achieve that kinda temperature on the surface of tungsten?

 

[jchoo]

I work in the nuclear industry, I understand the relative difference in radioactivity between radon and tritium... my point was simply that just because something is radioactive does not mean that it can harm you or you should fear it. The average American receives somewhere in the neighborhood of 360 millirem of radioactive dose each year from both naturally occurring (radon, solar radiation, etc.) and man-made (radio waves, nuclear medicine, etc.) sources.

 

[Illum]

I work in the nuclear industry, I understand the relative difference in radioactivity between radon and tritium... my point was simply that just because something is radioactive does not mean that it can harm you or you should fear it. The average American receives somewhere in the neighborhood of 360 millirem of radioactive dose each year from both naturally occurring (radon, solar radiation, etc.) and man-made (radio waves, nuclear medicine, etc.) sources.

does decay of americium 241 from smoke detectors contribute any to that 360 mrem? Am-241 supposedly have a half-life of 432 years

 

[h_nu]

Helium conducts the heat away from a filament better than other gases. That would not help.

 

[LuxLuthor]

The main point about radon is the negative publicity would never allow it to be a viable alternative. You would have the tree huggers put it in the same category as nuclear reactors. Not worth the hassle to a manufacturer.