Military technology is transferred to the world of building materials. Tritium has been used is several military applications. Nowadays more and more the product is installed in buildings as exit signs.
Escape Light B.V. is the European importer of Tritium Lights, non-electrical and maintenance free light sources. In the USA Tritium Lights are already widely used in commercial and industrial buildings as well as in civilian and military aircrafts, where reliability is absolutely essential. Tritium Lights are now available on the European market.
Tritium Lights are illuminated with light sources that consist of glass tubes, that have been internally coated with phosphor and filled with tritium gas. Tritium gas (H3) is an isotope of hydrogen that emits low energy radiation in the form of beta rays, or electrons. These electrons stimulate the phosphor coating causing the tubes to continuously emit light. The mechanism is exactly the same as an electrical fluorescent lamp with the only exception being that the electrons are provided by the tritium gas rather than by an electric current. In this way Tritium Lights require no external energy source and, as such, are the most energy efficient lighting products available today. They are also referred to as radio-luminescent light sources, or wrongly, also called betalights.
Tritium gas (Hydrogen-3) is an isotope of hydrogen. It can be man-made, but is also a naturally occurring substance. It is a colorless and odorless, and much lighter than air. It is present in air and water all over the earth and is regularly ingested and breathed by everyone. All humans contain trace amounts of tritium and several other naturally occurring radioisotopes.