Phosphor materials, fluorescent lamps provided therewith, and methods therefor

A fluorescent lamp comprising:

• a glass envelope enclosing a discharge space and having an inner surface;
• and
• a phosphor material on the inner surface of the glass envelope, the phosphor material comprising phosphor particles, at least some of the phosphor particles comprising a core surrounded by a shell, the shell containing GdMgB5O10 doped with at least Tb ions as a rare earth-containing phosphor composition that absorbs ultraviolet photons to emit green-spectrum light, the core being formed of a mineral material that is chemically compatible with the rare earth-containing phosphor composition of the shell, and the core does not contain intentional additions of terbium.

A method of fabricating a fluorescent lamp, the method comprising:

• forming phosphor particles each comprising a core surrounded by a shell, the shell containing GdMgB5O10 doped with at least Tb ions as a rare earth-containing phosphor composition that absorbs ultraviolet photons to emit green-spectrum light, the core being formed of a mineral material that is chemically compatible with the rare earth-containing phosphor composition of the shell, and the core does not contain intentional additions of terbium;
• and
• depositing the phosphor particles on an inner surface of a glass envelope.