Sylvania BriteSpot ES50 35w MR16 Quartz Metal-Halide: Arc Tube

ne of these tiny little MR16 metal halide lamps which I have was EOL so I decided to have a look inside.

You can see the tiny pea sized arc tube mounted vertically inside a positively charged hard glass sheath. This is to increase colour stability during it's lifetime by preventing sodium loss. The lead wire is also sheathed for this reason.

To maintain a good thermal balance inside the lamp which is critical to prevent oxidation of the molybdenum foil of the arc tube seals the lens end of the seal is made longer to keep it cooler while the cap at the other end acts as a heat sink.