Incandescent Light Bulbs

It is a fact that prior to Joseph Wilson Swan and Thomas Edison, two pioneers of light bulb research and invention, there were many other scientists who worked on improving the design and construction of light bulbs. However, since Edison's invention was most modified, energy efficient and low cost, his patented light bulb became very popular. Moreover, there have been many litigation filed on the issue light bulb patents, and many people say, there is no fixed answer of the question, who invented the light bulb. For us, however, Thomas Edison was the inventor of incandescent light bulbs, as he is said to have presented the most economical model and the fact that he got it patented first.

Working of Incandescent Light Bulbs

The commercialization of light bulbs has been phenomenal in the last century, probably because the requirement of light is a basic need in daily life. Incandescent light bulbs are used extensively in home lighting and it is difficult to imagine a place where there are no incandescent bulbs. Put simply, they are glass bulbs that glow after being heated. They're also known as filament bulbs because they contain a filament wire that glows after being heated to very high temperatures. They also consist of a glass enclosure, that contains tungsten wire as a metal filament. Electricity is passed through the tungsten wire by electrical connections to the filament. The glass mount that supports the filament wire is connected to the base of the bulb, which in turn consists of insulation, cap and an electrical contact point. The base part of bulbs is inserted in sockets, to glow the bulbs. When electricity is passed through tungsten metal, it is heated up to 2000 degree K to 3000 degree K temperature, that is much below the melting point of Tungsten. As the filament gets heated up, it emits a visible light spectrum however, energy is also emitted in the form of heat. The reason behind selecting Tungsten as the metal filament is that it has extremely high melting point, relative to other metals. Light bulbs are covered with a glass enclosures because of two major reasons. A glass enclosure safeguards people and things from the hot temperature of the filament. The dangers of touching a 3000 degree K filament needn't be stated here. Moreover, at such high temperatures, if the filament is left in open air, it will get oxidized when it comes in contact with oxygen. That is why glass enclosures are filled with an inert gas, chiefly argon, to enhance safety.

Are Incandescent Bulbs Banned?

The low cost of operation of light bulbs and it's easier construction have bolstered their growth in the past years however, since their high energy usage, incandescent light bulbs have faced stiff bans from governments in several countries. In the last five to six years, compact fluorescent lamps (CFL), LED lights and other similar light bulbs have become extremely popular. Incandescent light bulb law has already been announced in the US and by 2014, these bulbs will be replaced by other energy efficient sources. But since these traditional light bulbs are easy to build, they have low operating costs and they're also free of mercury unlike CFLs that contain mercury (that makes it a hazardous waste), there has been stiff resistance to these banning policies. Nonetheless, in the debate between incandescent vs fluorescent light bulbs, it seems that almost all countries are giving more importance to adopting fluorescent lights. More research and study is required to really understand the most ideal option. Incandescent light bulb phase out has been federally established by US government, and now companies are working aggressively to concentrate on energy efficient light bulb types.

Recycling Process

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, Municipal) promotes a website called Earth911, where consumers can seek relevant information for recycling certain materials, based on zip code and location. However, surprisingly, incandescent bulbs aren't in the list of Earth911. This is due to the fact that a broken or burned out incandescent bulb is of no use. It can't be recycled or reused. So the only way out is to reduce its consumption. This can be done by ensuring that you switch off the lights of a room while leaving the room and using light bulbs only when necessary. This will prolong the life of bulbs. Also, the option of replacing CFLs, one of the energy efficient light bulbs for the home, with a life span of 10 years, has become a popular trend. If not anything, you can exercise your creativity and use incandescent light bulbs for decorations.

Since energy crisis is fast becoming a reality, every individual on this Earth must make sustained efforts to contribute their bit in curbing this problem. The power of ONE is often neglected in long term results, but imagine, if each ONE of us makes a small contribution in saving energy, it can count up to billions of US.

Incandescent light bulbs, one of the greatest inventions of mankind, will be, for sure, phased out, in the coming years. Why not keep some of them safe in your drawing rooms, to show case it to the coming generations. Phasing out of such light bulbs is also an example of the fact that with changing times, society has to change its lifestyle and adopt green living fundamentals. That I guess, is the mantra for survival. Edison would not have loved it, when incandescent bulbs, are being banned, but the reality is, the world is changing, needs are changing and so we have to adopt new ways of survival. Nonetheless, we will always be indebted to Edison and others for their valuable contribution of inventing the light bulb which though, in the first place, appears a common place object, has illuminated the life of mankind, in a significant way.