One unique application of the wire and cable, usually low and high voltage types, is in the electric system of neon signs for providing the needed power to make the neon shine.
An illuminated display known as a neon sign is created by bending glass tubes that have been filled with gas into the form of letters or other patterns for decorative purposes.
The gas in the tube is what causes the light to come on when a high-voltage current is run through it.
Neon Wire Types
Even though neon was first utilized in the production of these signs, a variety of other gases were also utilized.
The combination of these gases and the various tints and phosphor coatings that are applied to the glass tubes results in the production of more than fifty distinct colors across the spectrum.
The development of neon signs can be traced back to scientific experiments in which different gases were subjected to high-voltage currents.
In the year 1856, Heinrich Geissler invented a light source by sending high-voltage alternating current through a gas that was contained in a glass tube with low pressure.
Experiments carried out later demonstrated that almost all gases are capable of conducting electricity and that many of them produce visible light.
The problem is that the majority of common gases, such as carbon dioxide, react with the live electrodes that are contained within the tube that is sealed.
Neon Wire uses
This results in a rapid decrease in the efficiency of the electrodes, which continues until the light sputters out completely.
Sir William Ramsay and Maurice William Travers came up with a process for the fractional distillation of liquid air in the year 1898.
During this process, the elements neon, argon, krypton, and xenon which are considered to be noble gases were found.
By enclosing these gases in glass tubes and sealing them, they were able to produce a spectrum of colored light sources, ranging from a vibrant red-orange for neon to an intense gray-blue or violet for argon.
Not only do these gases emit colored light, but they are also chemically inert and do not react with the electrodes.
The process of fractionation of liquid air remained an expensive one until 1907, when it was developed by Georges Claude in France and Karl von Linde in Germany that a method that was more economical could be used instead.
Initially, Georges Claude was interested in the production of large quantities of oxygen for use in hospitals and other industrial settings.
Low voltage cable for neon signs
For lighting up the neon in advertising signs, different cable types from low to high voltage are needed.
Neon gas was once utilized in the production of neon signs; however, it is currently exclusively utilized in the production of the colors red and orange.
The vast majority of signs make use of argon or a blend of argon and neon.
A trace amount of mercury is mixed in with the argon gas to create a brilliantly bright blue light.
This procedure is done in order to boost the brightness of the light.
Within the glass tube, this light interacts with a variety of light-emitting phosphorescent materials, which results in the production of a wide spectrum of colors.
There are also optical shades available in a variety of hues; however, if an intense blue light is necessary, the glass can be left in its transparent state.
Low voltage wire for neon signs
We discussed the needed wire and voltage, ranging from low to high, for lighting up the neon, used in advertising signs.
But how the neon signs are made is still a question.
Making neon signs is both an art and a mechanical process.
With few exceptions, each logo is unique and must be designed to fit the desired display within the available space.
The diameter of the hose, the minimum radius that the hose can bend, and the total length of hose that the transformer can provide all limit the final design.
For example, the smaller the diameter of the tube, the stronger the light.
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