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by perihelions 723 days ago
On top of the mechanical issues, CRT glass also functions as x-ray shielding, for which reason it is leaded (Pb). You can't really make that part lighter.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathode-ray_tube#Body

https://www.epa.gov/hw/frequent-questions-about-regulation-u...

(This isn't really an answer to the overall question—just a narrow observation of interest).

2 comments

This is an interesting point. Does anyone know how much lead would be in a 21 inch monitor?
According to [0], about 1.2 kg (2.6 lbs). Surprisingly this is mostly in the neck and funnel of the tube - the screen itself uses different metals because lead would affect its optical performance.

[0] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187802961...

Oh I didn’t know that. Neat.