Metal Halide
The metal halide map is a member of the HID (high intensity discharge) group of lamps and will produce a large output for their size. This makes this type of lighting popular due to the compact and powerful nature while still being an efficient light source.
The metal halide was originally created in the late 60s for use in the industrial sector, however, nowadays, the lamps are available in a variety of sizes and configurations for use in residential along with commercial areas.
By adding rare earth metal salts to the mercury vapour lamp, an improved level of luminous efficiency is obtained. Like most HID lamps, the metal halide operates under high temperature and pressure and requires a special fixture to operate safely.
The lamp is small compared to that of an incandescent or fluorescent lamp of the same level of lighting, meaning relatively small reflective luminaries can be used to direct the light for different applications such as outdoor floodlighting, industrial building lighting or warehouse lighting.
Metal halide lamps are used for both general use along with specialised applications such as where blue frequency light or UV light is required. Due to the wide spectrum on offer, they can be used for indoor growing applications, athletic facilities along with being popular with reef aquarists who need a high intensity of light for their corals.
Another popular use for the metal halide is in professional lighting fixtures where they are commonly known as MSD lamps and are usually used in 150W, 250W, 400W, 575W and 1,200W ratings, especially intelligent lighting. The majority of DLP, LCD and film projectors use metal halide lamps as their light source.
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