Patent ID: 6913504

Claim:
A method for introducing a limited amount of mercury into an envelope of a fluorescent lamp during manufacture of the lamp, the method comprising the steps of: forming the fluorescent lamp with an exhaust tubulation therein, the exhaust tubulation being open at an end thereof; exhausting the interior of the lamp envelope through the exhaust tubulation open end; placing a body of metal material not reactive with mercury in the lamp by way of the exhaust tubulation open end, the body having a coating of a metal which amalgams with mercury over a selected surface area of the body, and having mercury on the coated area of the body, such that a limited and selected amount of the mercury is retained on the body by the metal coating; and sealing the open end of the exhaust tubulation; whereby the amount of mercury retained on the body and thereby introduced into the lamp is limited by the selected surface area of the metal coating on the body.