Throughout history, humans have yearned to manipulate light for its beauty and to dispel the darkness. To achieve this, we have harnessed various luminescent materials. Among these, rare earth elements stand out for their indispensable role.
Rare earth atoms have rich electron energy levels due to the presence of 4f orbitals in their electronic configuration. This allows for a wide range of energy-level transitions and diverse luminescent properties. Rare earth luminescent materials outperform non-rare earth ones regarding luminous efficiency and color quality, leading to their growing usage in various applications.
Rare earth luminescent materials are categorized based on their excitation sources, including photoluminescence (UV or visible light), cathodoluminescence (electron beam), X-ray luminescence (X-rays), and electroluminescence (electric fields).
Rare earth tricolor fluorescent lamps use photoluminescent fluorescent powder containing yttrium, europium, and terbium which emits bright light closer to sunlight and saves 50% energy consumption compared to standard fluorescent lamps.
Commonly used rare earth-activated fluorescent materials for tricolor fluorescent powder include:
- Red powder: Europium (Eu3+)-activated yttrium oxide, sometimes co-doped with bismuth (Bi3+)
- Blue powder: Europium (Eu2+)-activated silicate-based matrix Europium (Eu2+)-activated aluminate-based matrix Europium (Eu2+)-activated chlorophosphate-based matrix Europium (Eu2+)-activated barium magnesium aluminate
- Green powder: Terbium (Tb3+), bismuth (Bi3+), and cerium (Ce3+) activated magnesium aluminate Terbium (Tb3+) and gadolinium (Gd3+) activated magnesium barium aluminate.
Rare earth fluorescent lamps are now practical, intelligent, and artistic light sources used for lighting, photocopying, and photochemical reactions. They are efficient, small, powerful, and have high color rendering with no pollution or flickering effects.
Advancements in rare earth luminescent materials and application technologies have fueled the development of energy-saving light sources, driving growth across various industries with enhanced capabilities.
Heeger Materials is a reputable supplier offering top-notch Rear Earth Materials for various applications at competitive prices. If you're interested, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] for a quote, and we guarantee a response within 24 hours.