Nickel activation

This area is for discussions involving any fusion related radiation metrology issues. Neutrons are the key signature of fusion, but other radiations are of interest to the amateur fusioneer as well.
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Richard Hull
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Re: Nickel activation

Post by Richard Hull »

The idea of a nuclear battery is not new here. We occasionally get a person show up looking to make a nuclear battery, before they investigate all the particulars needed to make a successful source of electricity from decaying isotopes. There is no work-around on the nuclear physics of turning radiation into electricity. So, you are not the only person who dreams big.

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
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Dennis P Brown
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Re: Nickel activation

Post by Dennis P Brown »

Radon gas is a significant issue with purified uranium so you need to make sure that it is properly ventilated (stored and worked with only in a properly flowing hood) and not used in an enclosed room. Wear gloves when handling those plugs or any time with the uranium - that is always good practice with any pure materials that emmit radiation and/or are toxic; uranium qualifies as both. A respirator when ever processing the uranium powder is essential - getting those partcles into the lungs is a sure method to developing lung cancer. These and many other precautions are essential if you want to minimize the risks. You are doing very risky experiments and at the least need to read extensively on safe handling and proper disposual of those materials. Do be absoultly certain you are operating within the laws of your country -officals can get very upset with these types of materials.

Impressive work but do be safe - like high voltage systems, mistakes with radioactive materials are extremely unforgiving.
Sarmad suseyn
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Re: Nickel activation

Post by Sarmad suseyn »

Thanks Dennis for your advice
Im certified in radiations protection . All the oxides in sealed tubes.
And the room is well ventilated.
Regarding the laws: don't tell you neighbours and friends anything . Every country there is laws that can screw you.
But there is a russian say: who dont risk don't drink vodka
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Richard Hull
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Re: Nickel activation

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NOTE: purified uranium will really never have any radon associated with it or any of its chemicals for at least 20,000 years from the date of purification! Purified uranium will chemically transfer only U238 and U234 and the pitiable amount of U-235 to the metal or any uranic chemical so purified. Thus 100% of all uranium metal and chemicals extant today have no real radon emanating from them, nor will they for a very long time. The U234 has to decay to a 20,000 year half-life thorium daughter, and then it will decay to radium with a 1620 year half life-which will then be pumping out radon like a big bear. The U238 will take far more than a million years to catch up to be in full equilibrium with the U234 and all the rest of the uranium series decay products to Lead.

Purified Uranium will see the 234 decay before the U238 can replace much of it so in about 100,000 years radium and radon will grow to a peak and then fade almost completely until a couple of millions years later the U234 will grow to a peak as the U238 and the U234 come into equilibrium and Radium will start to grow one final time until the entire series from U238 to lead are once again in total equilibrium as it was when that ore was mined and sent to the purification process in the 1950's, 3-4 million years ago.

In the year 3,503,120 that bottle of purified uranium nitrate from 1950 will be full of radon gas, U238, U234, U235 and an unweighable amount of radium, thorium, protactinium, polonium, bismuth, thallium and lead.

In today's world the only way you can get radon gas from Uranium is emanating from the raw rock uranium ore, (unprocessed) or from chemically extracted, refined pure radium chemical, (watch and clock dials and hands, instrument dial plates, etc.)

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
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Re: Nickel activation

Post by Sarmad suseyn »

Yes Richard you are right about radon gas, but i have radon gas from thorium rod
I have three colours:
Green: high grades U oxide
Blue :hell high U grade
Orange: thorium oxide
In the middle is isotope well
And i'm still adding holes.
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Richard Hull
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Re: Nickel activation

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Thorium is a whole different animal compared to Uranium as regards radon. Once purified, thorium will be kicking out a far more dangerous radon within 40 years!! Equilibrium is attained fast in pure thorium. Once called thoron gas, thorium's radon 220 is far more dangerous to humans than Uranium's radon 222. Let us say you are in an equal concentration of radon 220 and radon 222. Call this concentration "x". With a normal respiration of 2 seconds intake you will have .036X of thorium's radon, thoron, decay to solids within your lungs. However, for Uranium's radon 222 you would have only .000006X of its solids decay products in that same breath within your lungs.

Just like purified Uranium, the thorium 228 isotope is carried over when you purify for thorium 232. You will reach a dangerous "thoron" gas peak in only 4 years after purification which will die off with the loss of Th228 with its 1.9 year half life. However, thoron gas will once again return for a final time to full blown emission after 35 years from purification. So, purified thorium will be a dangerous thoron gas emitter from 3-6 years after purification and then nearly cease thoron gas production, only to return to a maximum, once again in 40 years.

While neither are to be welcomed, thorium radon, thoron, is dangerous beyond comparison. Stated another way, Thoron from thorium is ~6000 times more deadly, long term, than radon 222 or "emanation" from the uranium series. The only way to get maximized Thoron gas released is from thorium bearing rock ore, or from 35-40 year old purified thorium metal or thorium chemicals.

So many people have very little knowledge residing at the core level of their understanding of radioactive elements and their radiations. Constant reading and thinking about simple facts can result in an ownership rarely achieved by an individual related to this subject. It helps to think like a chemist, a "Radiochemist", to see the facts unfold in their full glory and horror. For instance...Want a short lived maximized thoron gas source of 14 day total emission for experiment?....Take 40 year old Thorium nitrate and extract the unweighable radium226. The extraction will produce high levels of thoron gas for 1 day, the thoron emission constantly dying away over the next 13 days. After 14 days all the remaining Ra226 daughters would be dead and your preparation would be pure stable lead208.

Uranium and thorium series Radium 226 and Radium 224 "cows", respectively, have been milked since the early 1900's for their late series, "fast daughters". Such "cows" are easily made and can be used for their short lived intense radiations involving no use of nasty chemical separations.... Think like a radiochemist!

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
Sarmad suseyn
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Re: Nickel activation

Post by Sarmad suseyn »

Thanks. For the information. I know that. This why i use ventilation system in my lab.
I have only 2 g from it nothing more.
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Re: Nickel activation

Post by Sarmad suseyn »

Thanks for this useful information. But still I'm a dreamer
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Re: Nickel activation

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Dreams keeps us going whether they are realized on not. Einstein dreamed and worked on until his death of a grand unified field theory. Never realized by him and not realized to this day.... Same for the fusion dream. No where in sight.

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
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Re: Nickel activation

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This topic is now locked. There are items that are not lawful in much of the world and the possible veiled threat toward Richard is not acceptable.
Achiever's madness; when enough is still not enough. ---FS
We have to stop looking at the world through our physical eyes. The universe is NOT what we see. It is the quantum world that is real. The rest is just an electron illusion. ---FS
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