someone knows which kind of glass fluorescent tubes are and if i can shape them or blow after i cleaned them?

Question

I study glass and i want to know properties of fluorescent glass...

Answer 1

Don't you hate it when people submit answers without answering the question???

Here's your answer:

There are 5 categories of glass used in flourescent lighting: soda-lime, lead, borosilicate, aluminosilicate, and high or fused silica. The most common are the aluminosilicates used by Osram Silvania, AEI, GEC and Corning. The Osram glass is probably the most common and consists of a silicate glass (SiO2) with Alumina (Al2O3) added for chemical stability. There is a spattering of other minor constituents generally consisting of network modifiers like Na2O or intermediates like CaO, but one other important addition is Cesium. Because flourescent light emits harmful UV radiation it is important to make sure that light is absorbed by the glass shell and not the human sitting under the light. Most common glasses absorb UV light because of non-bonded (non-bridging) oxygens from additions of network modifiers but adding Cesium ensures no UV light is transmitted as the Cesium contributes large amounts of loosely bound electrons that love absorbing the high energy UV light.

As for shaping them, you need to be careful but it certainly isn't impossible. I would suggest wearing a mask though because as you heat the glass while it may seem as though it holds the contents inside the permeability of the glass changes with heat and things like Xe and H can permeate the heated membrane. You could also shape a glass and then coat the inside with a phosphor thus creating your own flourescent light.

If you want to know more about the properties and exact compositions of these glasses, or would like to know how they are made, leave a comment and I'll edit this to add the additional information.

Answer 2

Fluorescent bulbs are a form of plasma lighing and working them falls under torch work of neon tubing. The white glow comes from the phosphors in the powder inside being bombarded with UV from the tiny amount of mercury inside the almost pure vacuum.. Neon, argon, and other gases produce the distinctive direct colors from the gas plasma.
The plasma is created by either a high voltage (very low current) along the tube from electodes attached to it or by Radio Frequency (RF) generated outside.
It is almost impossible to work with the glass of commercial fluorescent bulbs because they are so thin. They heat and melt quickly and when breath is used to support them, they blow out easily. When a neon worker makes fluorescent tubes (which he might to make an unusually length or shape like following a hand rail up a curved staircase) he uses a thicker glass so he has some control over the heating and shape.
Start here
http://www.neonmuseum.org/
and here
http://www.neonmona.org/sorry.html
Classes are offered at some of the glass schools that are serious about torch working
do a google search on 'neon classes' for further information.

Answer 3

I can't answer your question about the type of glass; however, please be aware that fluorescent tubes contain mercury vapor, which of course is quite toxic.