US Patent 7301282 High pressure mercury lamps and sealing members therefor

An object of the invention is to reduce the adverse effects due to a difference of thermal expansion between a conductive sealing member and a light-emitting vessel and to provide a reliable high pressure mercury lamp, even when the lamp is operated at a high pressure. The lamp has a light-emitting vessel 16 of quartz and having end portions, an electrode member 10 contained in the vessel 16, and a conductive sealing member 7A. The sealing member 7A is fixed in the end portion and connected to the electrode member 10. The conductive member is composed of a sintered body made from silica granules each having a coating of a metal or a metal compound. The sintered body has a conductive network structure made of the metal and having a content of the metal of not higher than 20 volume percent.