Fluorescent Light Compression/Containment

"A low cost fluorescent light bulb processing system having a very small footprint less than an average students desk has been proposed. The system will render the solid components of the bulb non-hazardous for recycling or disposal in a typical refuselandfill. The system crushes the bulb and removes the mercury contained in them. The processed bulb is disposed in a non-hazardous metal receptacle for recycling or disposal. The mercury is verified to be in the elemental form using an R-TEC proprietaryreactor system and fixed on a solid substrate for subsequent recovery or disposal as hazardous material. The system allows the Navy to dispose of spent fluorescent light bulbs in an environmentally and hygienically acceptable method that saves spaceon-board ship and can be used at land bases as well. Fluorescent light bulbs provide some of the most efficient white light of any electric light source. However, the mechanism producing the light utilizes a hazardous material, mercury. This ingredientrequires that the spent bulb be land filled as hazardous waste. An efficient, cost and space effective processing system that can remove and efficiently immobilize the mercury from the bulb material would allow the glass and metal to be disposed asnon-hazardous refuse or be recycled. The mercury could be reclaimed or land filled. The danger of breakage and the hassles of storage of large quantities of bulbs before land filling would be eliminated.