Re: Plasma ball purged out/remedies?

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <Neonglo-at-aol-dot-com>

In a message dated 12/6/02 5:01:08 PM Central Standard Time, 
tesla-at-pupman-dot-com writes:

>Original poster: "Jolyon Vater Cox by way of Terry Fritz 
><twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <jolyon-at-vatercox.freeserve.co.uk>
>
>I know that this may strictly be "off topic" but since plasma globes were
>recently mentioned on the list I'd like to say that
>I have had a such a globe for three or four years and recently the display
>has become very thin and hazy -
>it used to have bright lavender (argon?) arcs terminating in red (neon?)
>pads over the years these have become less bright now there is just a
>purple glow around the central electrode.
>
>I understand that with time and use these globes "purge out" i.e. they lose
>their gas fill as the gas ions from the high voltage discharge are
>gradually adsorbed into the glass (with low pressure there can't be much
>gas in the globe anyway)
>
>So I am looking for way to re-juvenate the globe to restore original
>quality of the display.


Hi Jolyon,

I believe you are correct stating that the gasses in the globe are adsorbed 
or 'cleaned up' over time. I have a 12" globe with the same problem. I 
haven't tried this myself yet, but I'm wondering if heating the globe might 
release the trapped gasses? If you could slowly heat your globe in an oven 
to about 200* C for an hour or two, it might be an interesting experiment 
to try. Of course, heat only the glass globe and nothing else.

Best Regards,

Tony Greer
Special Effects Neon
Lubbock, Texas
"Flowing Glass and Glowing Gas"
        ~~~SINCE 1980~~~

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