Recycling/reusing Tubes

[rgorke]

Ok, I have a couple of naive questions...

1) What makes a tube "die" or "go bad" or "come to the end of it's useful life"? Does it lose it's vacuum? Do some of the materials inside change to a different state rendering them useless?

2) Could old tubes be reused or recycled or what ever? We all know that they really don't make them like the use to. Some tubes like the Sylvania 6CA7 has not been really replicated. I am wondering if when the stash I have dies, could they be renewed using the same glass, plates, getters, etc.

Anyway, I did some googling and didn't really come up with anything germane.

Thanks

[Tone Slinger]

I'm sure that there could be some use of all the various parts. This is a cool concept, but, would require very dedicated people, who have tubes (as opposed to money) in mind.

[Guitar-Sam]

old Cathode ray TV tube testers had a rejuvinate function HUmmmmmmmmmmm???????? I think the blue and red are sounding a bit faded latly on my 2210 maybe I need to rejuvinate???