In neon manufacture glass tubes of various types are applied. One use it is direct for hot-fire hot-fire processings and and manufacturing neon tubes,

others - for the auxiliary purposes, such, for example, as connection of products to pomping out to a post for pumping out, etc.

Modern neon tubes from which signboards are created, represent the tube made of special glass either transparent, or color, or with a special powder raised dust from within - as luminophore.

Such tube fill with gas (usually neon, argon or their mix, it is very seldom used xenon, krypton and helium),

and, having welded by the ends two electrodes (on physical and chemical properties glass should be combined ideally with metal of conclusions electrods as through a lamp passes the electric category),

Thus gas is ionized, and ions, bombarding luminiphor substance, force it to be shone.

Color of a luminescence luminiphore depends on its structure. Wide colour gamut receive due to a combination of salts of various metals and other components which are a part luminiphore. It can be shone and gas. So if to fill a transparent tube argon, we shall receive pale blue color of a luminescence. If a neon - a bright, red-orange luminescence.

Applying various types glass tubes (transparent, transparent with luminiphore, color without luminiphore, color with luminiphore) and using color of a luminescence of gas-filling agent, it is possible to receive wide (up to 70 shades) a palette of paints.

There are tubes of following manufacturers:

1. Tecnolux (Italy)
Company Tecnolux - the largest manufacturer of accessories for manufacturing and installation of gas-discharge (neon) lamps. Borrows approximately 20 %-25 % of the world market of sales of neon accessories. A turn of firm - more than 40 million euro a year. Has distributors almost in all countries, even in China and Korea where there are cheap manufacturers. Tecnolux has international certificate ISO 9002.

2. Masonlite (England)
Company Masonlite Limited has been based in 1948. Originally the company has filled a niche of manufacture of the short fluorescent lamps which are not offered by the main manufacturers. Gradually developing, Masonlite becomes the manufacturer of the cold cathode, components of the lighting equipment. They include hollow electrodes and fluorescent phosphorus for a covering tubes (though the company delivers an additional range of products of type of the rare gases, processing equipment and tools), and also tubes for a neon. More than 75 % of all volume of manufacture are exported to 80 countries of the world. To keep world positions, to increase a share in the existing markets and to enter into new areas, the company professes philosophy of continuous improvement - the main investment program includes new "know-how" and the equipment. Company Masonlite is recognized by one of world leaders in the area.

3. EGL (USA)
Glass is presented in a wide spectrum of colors (more than 70 various shades), including aquamarine, various shades dark blue, violet, yellow and red. EGL also offers tubes Clear - without luminophore coverings and Coated - with a covering containing rare-earth elements. The special structure lumin in tubes EGL provides high adhesion (luminophore it is not showered!), uniformity, brightness and a long luminescence of a neon tube, excepting scaling luminophore and dimness in places of soldering and a bend tubes. All tubes temper for removal of a superficial pressure. Edges tubes annealed. The Monitoring system of quality guarantees stability of color of each tube against a box to a box, from year to year.

EGL lets out some versions neon tubes owing to what it is possible to pick up the optimal variants at performance of projects of a various degree of complexity and the importance:

Series SIGNMATE – lead glass with one layer luminophore;

Series SIGNMATE II – lead glass with a double layer luminophore, is ideal for allocation of contours of signboards, since toning a tube;

Series ACUWALL – color glass without luminophore (Clear) and with luminophore a covering (Coated);

Series COLD CATHODE – lead glass of greater diameters with one layer luminophore, works from a pressure a minimum 60 mA, is used for registration of the arches of ceilings and accentuation of interior elements;

Series CL DESIGNER – glass with luminophore a covering, contains rare-earth elements, is specially developed for internal illumination of volumetric letters and signboards where the bright light radiation sated by color is necessary.

4. Glostertube (Italy)
Company Glostertube - one of the leading Italian companies-manufacturers delivering on the world market glass tubes with luminophore by a covering for manufacturing of neon lamps which, as is known, are used as a light source for letters, volumetric signs, illumination of facades of buildings, and also for registration of internal interiors.

Glostertube uses materials of the best European manufacturers: Osram, Silvania, Phillips. Color glass tubes are delivered from Venice (about. Murano). Production Glostertube correspond to all requirements of the European standards. Periodically appearing in the market of the CIS, glass Glostertube already has had time to deserve a recognition of masters-glass blowers. Owing to own recipe luminophore glue and original technology raising dust luminophore, tubes Glostertube are comparable on quality to products Tecnolux and Masonlite. The company lets out three kinds glass tubes - from lead, without lead and soda glass. Rich color palette Glostertube applicable for any art projects. Riches of shades of white color from warm, pinkish, up to cold, bluish as the ice, will undoubtedly please designers of internal interiors.

The glass delivered by companies Tecnolux, Masonlite, EGL, Glostertube, enables to do welded seams especially tight, preventing outflow of gas that provides durability of such products, does not accumulate an internal pressure, possesses good mechanical resistance and stability to temperature drops. It differs stable durability luminophores, has some tens thin color shades, and color glass with raising dust allows to achieve especially juicy luminescence of neon advertising.

The glass tube should be protected from hit of a dust at its all stages transformation in a neon detail as the dirt in a tube catastrophically influences color of a finished article.

So, tubes of company Tecnolux on the special equipment are sealed from one and other end not tight polyethylene "caps", carrying out very important function - they interfere with penetration of a dust and other polluting substances inside of a tube at its long storage. This process is automated.

The tube heats up up to 650°С. Thus polluting substances and microcellulose from which has been mixed luminophore for uniform drawing on a tube then absolutely pure tube is sealed burn down all. If the tube is correctly stored in such packing in a warehouse at temperature from-60°C up to +50°С and as much as possible admissible humidity - up to 70 % can lie 10 years and more without damages. The tube is sealed leaky its packing serve only for prevention of hit inside of pollution and streams of air with a dust. Very important at storage that in an atmosphere there were no oils and organic emissions (for example, automobile exhausts).

Glass the tube has the internal diameter and the certain thickness of a wall. During giving to a tube of the necessary form these sizes should remain not changed. Therefore it is impossible to bend a tube under a right angle. These restrictions concern only small signboards. On distance all roundness corners are imperceptible.

Basic diameters tubes

For today manufacturers glass tubes for manufacture of a neon offer a following number of the sizes: 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20 mm. Basically tubes of 12 mm and 15 mm are used. Less often - 9 mm. In processing, for manufacture of details, are applied, basically, tubes with external diameter 8, 10, 12, 15 mm, in special cases - 18, 20 mm. Diameter of a tube is defined, proceeding from a demanded dimension of a detail, complexity and the sizes of the sketch on which neon maker makes processing a tube. The details realizing the fineest, jeweller fonts and the images, are made of a tube in diameter of 10 mm, less often - 7 and 8 mm.

Kinds tubes

2. Luminophore tubes

To the beginning of 1930th besides red both dark blue colors there were also other colors. Considerably to expand a color palette it was possible by means of tubes with luminophore a covering – on internal walls трубок it is put luminophore a powder which under action of the ultraviolet especially intensively radiated in pairs of mercury in a mix with argon or a neon, has this or that light shade depending on its structure.

Luminophores – are various chemical compounds, conversed different kinds of energy (except for thermal) in light. All variety of colors modern neon tubes became possible due to a combination of a wide spectrum of salts of various metals and other components which are a part luminophore. For example, shades of dark blue color give connection of cobalt, a green spectrum - nickel, pink - cadmium, etc. Such technology has allowed to achieve almost exact reproduction of firm colors of the companies. Luminophores powders, puted on an internal surface of a glass tube, have white color.

The special structure luminophore provides high adhesion (luminophore not shower!), uniformity, brightness and a long luminescence of a neon tube, excepting scaling luminophore and dimness in places of soldering and a bend tubes.

As a result of submission of a pressure on electrodes and occurrence of an electric charge in a tube there is a process of ionization of gas to allocation of light both in visible to a human eye a range, and in the form of UV-beams. UV-beams, " transform " luminophore raising dust, puted on an internal surface neon tubes, allow to receive luminescences of various shades, as does neon advertising so bright and rich in the colors. Simple luminophore tubes possess one lack - in the extinguished condition they look as usual white tubes.

Color luminophore glass though it and for 15 percent is more dear usual, allows to solve this problem - the tube even in the extinguished condition looks beautifully.