Which is Better for Your Application - Quartz Glass or Soft Glass?

At LightSources and LightTech, we offer our customers a choice of quality germicidal UVC lamps in either quartz glass or soft glass.  One of the biggest differences between the two is that quartz germicidal glass is made from silica phosphate, which gives it a much harder tensile strength.  Germicidal soft glass is made from a highly refined and pure type of soda lime glass that is similar to visible light fluorescent lamps. 

So how do you know which glass is better for your application?  To start with, if your application requires the highest UVC output possible and a long operational life, then you will probably want to go with high-quality quartz glass UVC germicidal lamps.  However as the glass does have a very high Celsius melting point that makes it more difficult to work and requires skilled human operators to manufacture, it is more expensive to produce.  Nonetheless despite the higher cost, the advantages include an approximately 9% higher transmission of UVC than soft glass as well as a higher initial UVC output. 

Additionally quartz germicidal UVC lamps can produce 254nm wavelength (killing wave) and 185nm wavelength (Ozone) while still maintaining 85% of their output at 16,000 hours.  The quartz glass is also perfect for high powered lamp designs such as amalgam lamps. 

Soft glass has a relatively lower Fahrenheit melting point that makes it much easier to work.  This means that it lends itself to manufacturing automation and can be produced at a lower cost.  The disadvantages of soft glass UVC germicidal lamps is that the transmission of UVC is around 9 percent lower than quartz lamps and has a lower initial UVC output.  Also soft glass does not allow the transmission of UVC wavelengths below 200nm, which means that it cannot be used to produce ozone at 185nm.

         

LightSources and our affiliated companies represent the leading high-tech designers and manufacturers in the lamp industry today.  Our products are used world-wide in a multitude of applications and industries such as our UV germicidal lamps that offer patent-protected, OEM-oriented solutions.  Please contact us to learn more about our large selection of specialty custom and standard lamps.