Any ideas on how to remove the inner phosphor coating on the inner surface of fluorescent tube lamp turning it into a UV lamp?
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\$\begingroup\$ Amr, from your comment: "I want to remove the coating to exactly find out by experimentation whether practical amount of UV will pass." Perhaps it will be easier to simply break the tube and perform experiments on larger shards of glass... \$\endgroup\$– bitsmackCommented Apr 21, 2023 at 6:59
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3 Answers
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You'd have to open it, clean off the phosphor and then reseal it with the right pressure of mercury vapour intact.
You'd also have to replace the envelope with a different kind of glass if you wanted UVC (germicidal) 235nm light.
Basically, forget about it.
answered May 31, 2020 at 17:19
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4\$\begingroup\$ no, why should an answer be more motivating? Spehro did his best to explain what needs to be done, and even went further and exactly guessed your application. He's very welcoming to you! The thing you want to do is impossible with small-scale tools, and that's a fact. \$\endgroup\$ Commented May 31, 2020 at 17:32
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1\$\begingroup\$ @AmrBerag No "sarcasm" intended. Many of us actually have vacuum systems capable of doing this, and argon tanks on our TIG welders for refilling, but that doesn't make it a good idea. \$\endgroup\$ Commented May 31, 2020 at 19:17
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3\$\begingroup\$ @AmrBerag he answered that, basically: you need to replace both the glas tube and need to refill it with mercury vapor. The only thing you'd be able to keep would be the wiring. So, you basically need a factory for fluorescent tubes. \$\endgroup\$ Commented May 31, 2020 at 19:47
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3\$\begingroup\$ @AmrBerag the glass in fluorescent tubes is less transparent to all UV than to visible light, on purpose. So yes, you need to replace the glass. \$\endgroup\$ Commented May 31, 2020 at 20:18
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2\$\begingroup\$ @AmrBerag less transparent than UV-transparent glass that you have to use in a UV lamp. Come on, it's not that hard to research how a fluorescent lamp works. \$\endgroup\$ Commented May 31, 2020 at 20:46
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You can try to apply a source of high-frequency ultrasound to the glass, vibrating the glass for a long time will lead to the separation of the phosphor. Then the lamp will begin to emit long-wave ultraviolet
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to clean off the phosphor coating, you need two things: acetone and a small brush on a stick. to turn it back into uv lamp again after that, then your on your own there mate
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1\$\begingroup\$ Your answer could be improved with additional supporting information. Please edit to add further details, such as citations or documentation, so that others can confirm that your answer is correct. You can find more information on how to write good answers in the help center. \$\endgroup\$– Community BotCommented May 11 at 3:31