MSDS

Lamp Material Information Sheet

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

Information and Applicability

The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) requirements of the Occupational Safety and

Health Administration (OSHA) for chemicals are not

applicable to manufactured articles

such as lamps. No material contained in a lamp is released during normal use and

operation.

The following information is provided as a service to our customers. The following Lamp

Material Information Sheet contains applicable Material Safety Data Sheet information.

I. Product Identification

GE Compact Fluorescent Lamps

GE Consumer & Industrial

Lighting

1975 Noble Road

Nela Park

Cleveland, OH 44112

(216) 266-2222

II. Lamp Materials and Hazardous Ingredients

Glass & Metal

The glass tube used in a standard compact fluorescent lamp is manufactured from soda-lime glass

and is essentially similar but not identical to that used throughout the glass industry for bottles and

other common consumer items. The lamp bases are generally nickel-plated brass. The coils in the

lamps (called filaments or cathodes) are made of tungsten. An emission material covers the tungsten

coil. The emission material consists of triple oxide (BaO, CaO, SrO) + ZrO2 in a quantity of 4-12

mg/lamp depending on type. Some 4-pin Compact fluorescent lamps contain 2-3 mg of titanium-

hydride. None of these materials would present a hazard in the event of breakage of the lamp, aside

from the obvious ones due to broken glass. Some fluorescent lamps (CovRguard™ products) use an

external coating of polycarbonate to provide a shatter-resistant coating.

Phosphor

The phosphor system (SP/SPX) uses a mixture of rare earth elements such as lanthanum and yttrium

as either an oxide or as a phosphate, along with a barium/aluminum oxide. The phosphor

components may vary slightly depending on the color of the lamp (SPX30, SPX35, etc.). Compact

fluorescent lamps typically have a maximum of 1.5 grams of phosphor. Total phosphor weight will

vary by lamp size and type.

September 2007 Compact Fluorescent Lamps-LMIS 1

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Lamp Material Information Sheet Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) Information and Applicability The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for chemicals are not applicable to manufactured articles such as lamps. No material contained in a lamp is released during normal use and operation. The following information is provided as a service to our customers.
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Mercury Mercury is present in small amounts in all fluorescent lamps. The amount of mercury present (typically 5 mg or less) in any given compact fluorescent lamp will vary depending on the lamp type. The amount is lower than that from several years ago, and GE is currently working to further lower the amounts of mercury used in its fluorescent lamp products. Electronic Ballast for Self-Ballasted Compact Fluorescent Lamp The electronic ballast is built into the lamp housing.
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IV. Disposal Concerns TCLP A Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) test conducted on traditional compact fluorescent lamp designs for mercury could possibly cause the lamps to be classified as a hazardous waste due to the mercury content or lead content (in the case of screw-based compact fluorescent lamps).