Blue-green phosphor for fluorescent lighting applications

• US 6,867,536 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2002
• Issued: 03/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Manivannan, Venkatesan, Srivastava, Alok, Comanzo, Holly, Setlur, Anant Achyut
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dong, Dalei
• Application Number:
  US10/317,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20040113537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 252/301.4 R, 252/309.36, 252/301.4 F, 252/700, 252/301.4 P, 252/301.4 H, 313485-487
• US Class Current: 313/487
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/7734 Aluminates
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/7739 with halogens
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/7774 Aluminates
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/7777 Phosphates
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/778 Borates
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/44 Devices characterised by the luminescent material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps

Abstract

A fluorescent lamp including a phosphor layer including Sr₄Al₁₄O₂₅:Eu²⁺ (SAE) and at least one of each of a red, green and blue emitting phosphor. The phosphor layer can optionally include an additional, deep red phosphor and a yellow emitting phosphor. The resulting lamp will exhibit a white light having a color rendering index of 90 or higher with a correlated color temperature of from 2500 to 10000 Kelvin. The use of SAE in phosphor blends of lamps results in high CRI light sources with increased stability and acceptable lumen maintenance over, the course of the lamp life.

Claims

1. A fluorescent lamp comprising a first phosphor layer for converting ultraviolet radiation to visible illumination, said layer comprising a red phosphor emitting at about 610 to 640 nm with a peak emission at about 610 to 625 nm, a green phosphor emitting at about 500 nm to about 600 nm with a peak emission at about 535 to about 555 nm, and a blue phosphor emitting at about 440 to about 470 nm and a phosphor having the formula Sr₄Al₁₄O₂₅:

EU²⁺, wherein said visible light has predetermined color coordinates on the CIE scale wherein the x value is in the range of 0.3 to 0.4 and y is in the range of 0.3 to 0.4.

2. A fluorescent lamp according to claim 1, wherein said lamp exhibits a correlated color temperature of between about 2500 to about 10000 Kelvin and a color rendering index of about 90 to 94.

3. A fluorescent lamp according to claim 1, further comprising a second phosphor layer comprising a halophosphor.

4. A fluorescent lamp according to claim 3, wherein said second phosphor layer comprises a calcium halophosphate.

5. A fluorescent lamp according to claim 1, further comprising a deep red phosphor emitting at about 600 to about 700 nm and/or a yellow phosphor emitting at about 540 to 590 with a peak emission preferably at about 570 nm.

6. A fluorescent lamp according to claim 1 , wherein said phosphor layer comprises a blend of Sr₄Al₁₄O₂₅:

Eu₂₊, LaPO₄;

Te, Ce (LAP), Sr₅(PO₄)₃(Cl, F, OH);

Eu²⁺ (SECA), and (Y, LA, Gd)BO₃ (YLGB).

7. A fluorescent lamp according to claim 1, further comprising a UV reflecting barrier layer comprising at least one of alpha- and gamma-aluminum particles.

8. A fluorescent lamp according to claim 1, wherein said visible illumination comprises white light.

9. A fluorescent lamp according to claim 1, wherein said lamp further comprises a glass envelope and wherein said first phosphor layer is deposited on an interior surface of said glass envelope.

10. A fluorescent lamp according to claim 1, wherein said visible light has predetermined color coordinates on the CIE scale wherein the x value is about 0.370 and y is about 0.379.

11. A fluorescent lamp according to claim 1, wherein said lamp has a luminous efficacy of grater than 70 Lms/W.

12. A fluorescent lamp according to claim 1, wherein said phosphor layer comprises about 35 to about 50 percent by weight of said red phosphor, about 5 to about 20 percent of said blue phosphor, about 15 to about 45 percent of said green phosphor and about 5 to about 30 percent of Sr₄Al₁₄O₂₅:

EU₂₊.

13. A fluorescent lamp according to claim 1, wherein said lamp is a compact fluorescent lamp.

14. A phosphor blend suitable for use in fluorescent lighting applications, said blend comprising a red emitting phosphor, a green emitting phosphor, a blue emitting phosphor, and Sr₄Al₁₄O₂₅:

Eu²⁺, wherein said phosphor blend comprises about 35 to about 50 percent by weight of said red phosphor, about 5 to about 20 percent of said blue phosphor, about 15 to about 45 percent of said green phosphor and about 5 to about 30 percent of Sr₄Al₁₄O₂₅;

Eu²⁺.

15. A phosphor blend according to claim 14, wherein said red phosphor emits at about 610 to 640 nm with a peak emission at about 610 to 625 nm, said green phosphor emits at about 500 nm to about 600 rim with a peak emission at about 535 to about 555 nm, and said blue phosphor emits at about 440 to about 470 nm.

16. A phosphor blend according to claim 14, further comprising a deep red phosphor emitting at about 600 to about 700 nm and/or a yellow phosphor emitting at about 540 to 590 with a peak emission preferably at about 570 nm.

17. A phosphor blend according to claim 14, comprising Sr₄Al₁₄O₂₅:

Eu²⁺, LaPO₄;

Te, Ce (LAP), Sr₅(PO₄)₃(Cl, F, OH);

Eu²⁺(SECA), and (Y, LA, Gd)BO₃ (YLGB).

18. A phosphor blend according to claim 14, wherein said phosphor blend is suitable for use in a fluorescent lamp exhibiting a CRI of 90 or greater at a correlated color temperature of from 2500 to 10000 K.

19. A fluorescent lamp comprising a first phosphor layer for converting ultraviolet radiation to visible illumination, said layer comprising a red phosphor emitting at about 610 to 640 nm with a peak emission at about 610 to 625 nm, a green phosphor emitting at about 500 nm to about 600 nm with a peak emission at about 535 to about 555 nm, and a blue phosphor emitting at about 440 to about 470 nm and a phosphor having the formula Sr₄Al₁₄O₂₅:

Eu²⁺, wherein said first phosphor layer comprises about 35 to about 50 percent by weight of said red phosphor, about 5 to about 20 percent of said blue phosphor, about 15 to about 45 percent of said green phosphor and about 5 to about 30 percent of Sr₄Al₁₄O₂₅;

Eu²⁺.