LOW-PRESSURE MERCURY VAPOUR DISCHARGE LAMP

Low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp provided with a discharge vessel (10). The discharge vessel (10) encloses a discharge space (11), provided with a filling of mercury and a rare gas, in a gastight manner. At least a part of an inner surface of the discharge vessel (10) is provided with a transparent layer (16) comprising an oxide of scandium, yttrium, or a rare earth metal (lanthanum, cerium, gadolinium, ytterbium, and/or lutetium). The discharge lamp is characterized in that the transparent layer (16) comprises a borate or a phosphate of an alkaline earth metal and/or of scandium, yttrium or a further rare earth metal. Preferably, the alkaline earth metal is calcium, strontium and/or barium. The further rare earth metal is preferably lanthanum, cerium and/or gadolinium. The oxide is preferably Y2O3 or Gd2O3. Preferably, the transparent layer (16) has a thickness of between 5 nm and 200 nm. A luminescent layer (17) is preferably provided on top of the transparent layer in the discharge vessel. The lamp according to the invention has a comparatively low mercury consumption.