During the 1930's most of the world's countries introduced their own comprehensive systems of nomenclature to identify the many different kinds of mercury lamps which had become available. Generally these are based on logical code letter systems but in North America, lamps are assigned completely random letters to identify each type. Some of the more commonly encountered systems are disclosed in the tables below. In all cases, more than one letter may be selected from the Third Part to denote special features of the lamp.
British & French System (also Australia, Northern Europe, India, Hong Kong, Africa, Middle East)
First Part |
Second Part |
Third Part |
Final Parts |
M |
Mercury |
A |
Medium Pressure |
C |
Cadmium additive |
-R |
Reflector shape |
|
|
B |
High Pressure |
D |
Deluxe colour |
-G |
Spherical shape |
|
|
C |
Low Pressure |
F |
Fluorescent bulb |
-T |
Tubular shape |
|
|
D |
Water-Cooled |
I |
Iodide additives |
-L |
Linear double ended |
|
|
E |
Short Arc |
L |
Laboratory lamp |
|
|
|
|
|
|
M |
Coal mine service |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SD |
Super-deluxe colour |
/V |
Vertical cap up |
|
|
|
|
T |
Tungsten Ballasted |
/D |
Vertical cap down |
|
|
|
|
U |
UV Suntanning lamp |
/H |
Horizontal |
|
|
|
|
W |
UV Woods glass bulb |
/U |
Universal |
Dutch System
First Part |
Second Part |
Third Part |
Final Part |
H |
Mercury |
O |
Ordinary Pressure |
L |
Luminescent bulb |
-N |
New phosphor (YVO4) |
|
|
P |
High Pressure |
W |
UV Woods glass bulb |
-C |
Comfort phosphor |
|
|
|
|
I |
Iodide Additives |
|
|
|
|
|
|
R |
Reflector bulb |
|
|
|
|
|
|
B |
Spherical bulb |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ML |
Mercury blended |
L |
Luminescent bulb |
|
|
|
|
|
|
R |
Reflector bulb |
|
|
|
|
|
|
U |
UV Sun-tanning bulb |
|
|
|
|
|
|
W |
UV Woods glass bulb |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CS |
Compact Source |
I |
Iodide Additives |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SP |
Super Pressure |
P |
Pulsed Operation |
|
|
|
|
German System
First Part |
Second Part |
Third Part |
Final Part |
H |
Mercury |
G |
Glass arc tube |
A |
Clear outer bulb |
-R |
Reflector bulb |
|
|
Q |
Quartz long arc |
L |
Luminescent bulb |
-B |
Spherical bulb |
|
|
B |
Quartz short arc |
V |
UV Woods glass bulb |
|
|
|
|
M |
Quartz medium arc |
S |
Silberweiß / cool white |
|
|
|
|
N |
Low Pressure |
G |
Goldweiß / warm white |
|
|
|
|
W |
Tungsten ballasted |
D |
Deluxeweiß / deluxe |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SD |
Super deluxe |
|
|
|
|
|
|
I |
Iodide additives |
|
|
|
|
|
|
O |
For optical projection |
|
|
Russian System
First Part |
Second Part |
Third Part |
Final Part |
D |
Discharge lamp |
R |
Mercury |
L |
Fluorescent bulb |
Z |
Reflector shape |
|
|
t |
Self Ballasted |
I |
Metal Halide |
T |
Tubular shape |
|
|
|
|
O |
Horticultural |
SH |
Spherical arc tube |
|
|
|
|
|
|
LH |
Long Arc |
|
|
|
|
|
|
UV |
Ultraviolet |
Czech & Slovakian Systems
First Part |
Second Part |
Third Part |
Final Part |
R |
Mercury Rtutova |
V |
High Pr. Vysokotlaká |
C |
Clear Bulb Ciry |
-G |
Germanate phosphor |
|
|
|
|
L |
Fluorescent Luminofor |
-B |
Halophosphate bilá |
|
|
|
|
Y |
Yellow GlassZlut |
-X |
Vanadate phosphor |
|
|
|
|
U |
Blacklight |
|
|
|
|
|
|
K |
UV for Suntanning |
|
|
|
|
|
|
KUV |
UV-A, UV-B & UV-C |
|
|
|
|
|
|
R |
Reflector Reflektor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
I |
Metal halide Iodure |
|
|
|
|
|
|
M |
Blue/Indium Modra |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Z |
Green / Thallium Zelena |
|
|
|
|
|
|
F |
Iron Iodide Fe |
|
|
|
|
|
|
G |
Gallium Iodide Ga |
|
|
Hungarian System
First Part |
Second Part |
Third Part |
Final Part |
H |
Mercury |
G |
High Pressure |
LI |
Luminescent |
S |
Internal starter |
|
|
|
|
MI |
Metal Halide |
F |
Fluorescent |
PolishSystem
First Part |
Second Part |
Third Part |
Final Part |
L |
High Pressure |
R |
Mercury |
F |
Fluorescent |
R |
Reflector |
|
|
|
|
I |
Iodide |
|
|
MIX |
Mercury blended |
|
|
|
|
|
|
JapaneseSystem
First Part |
Second Part |
Third Part (Wattage) |
Final Part |
H |
Mercury lamp |
F |
Fluorescent ellipsoidal |
40W |
-X |
Deluxe phosphor |
|
|
FG |
Fluorescent spherical |
50W |
-BL |
Blacklight UV bulb |
BH |
Mercury self-ballasted |
FR |
Fluorescent reflector |
100W |
-UV |
UV & visible output |
|
|
G |
Clear spherical bulb |
175W |
|
|
|
|
R |
Clear reflector bulb |
200W |
|
|
|
|
T |
Clear tubular bulb |
250W |
|
|
|
|
K |
Cold atmosphere lamp |
300W |
|
|
|
|
|
|
400W |
|
|
|
|
|
|
700W |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1000W |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2000W |
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