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extracting thorium from lamp mantles

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Patrick

Fri Dec 17 2010, 01:37AM

Registered Member #2431 Joined: Tue Oct 13 2009, 09:47PM
Location: Chico, CA. USA
Posts: 5639

Grenadier wrote ...

It's not dangerous if done properly...

OK, true..i hope you all dont take a fatal exposure.

ubuntupokemoninc

Fri Dec 17 2010, 01:39AM

Banned on 1/22/2011 for repeated rule violations after multiple warnings.
Registered Member #3299 Joined: Sat Oct 09 2010, 08:11PM
Location: Bantown, USA
Posts: 220

I found a nice Geiger counter that i got a flee market for $40

the box is gonna be easy I have made many quite elaborate aluminum castings for my dad.

i can get lithium out of batteries

I'm gonna refine the americium from a bunch of detectors

whats a dosimeter

as far as nuetrons I thought about making a small fusor.

thoriums gonna be an issue, although my grandpa collects Aladdin lamps, but it would be a shame to destroy those mantles... so i'm gonna have to find another source of thorium.

and people say i should do my home work before coming to 4hv.org... there isn't nothing on the INTERNET about this! (powerful message there!)

Adam Munich

Fri Dec 17 2010, 02:37AM

Registered Member #2893 Joined: Tue Jun 01 2010, 09:25PM
Location: Cali-forn. i. a.
Posts: 2242

"I'm gonna refine the americium from a bunch of detectors"

There's nothing to refine. It's an extremely tiny amount of americium dioxide plated on a piece of foil. Try as you might, you're not going to get any decent amount of radiation from one. David tried using 1,000 of them, and that didn't work.

"whats a dosimeter"

A device for measuring cumulative radiation exposure.

"as far as nuetrons I thought about making a small fusor."

Do you even know ho the experiment works? A quantity of radium chloride is placed behind beryllium, and the super intense alpha radiation makes neutrons. These neutrons then hit the thorium.

"so i'm gonna have to find another source of thorium."

I hope you have deep pockets.

Patrick

Fri Dec 17 2010, 02:39AM

Registered Member #2431 Joined: Tue Oct 13 2009, 09:47PM
Location: Chico, CA. USA
Posts: 5639

ubuntupokemoninc wrote ...

I found a nice Geiger counter that i got a flee market for $40

I dont know if I would trust my life to a 40$ instrument with an unkown past?

ubuntupokemoninc wrote ...

i can get lithium out of batteries

You'll get a lot of crap chemistry that way, unwanted side-reactions.

ubuntupokemoninc wrote ...

I'm gonna refine the americium from a bunch of detectors

Do I recall that the Americium is almost an invisible speck on a tiny dish? Good luck. Maybe you could just keep the dish with it? And for God sake dont create grinding or dust particulate conditions!

ubuntupokemoninc wrote ...

whats a dosimeter

I really hope you dont die.

I used to have access to a special supply of uraynyl polymer beads, and uranium/radium of different sources, and about 15 differnt radioactive metals. when I was at Shasta College. Most were those educational colored plastic circles, with a tiny-tiny metal speck and aperature. My favorite was the cobalt one, it was so loud, easy to detect. My professors were kind enuff to make sure I didnt kill myself, despite our sources being nearly harmless when handled proplerly.

Conundrum

Fri Dec 17 2010, 09:29AM

Registered Member #96 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:37PM
Location: CI, Earth
Posts: 4062

this is a really bad idea, concentrating it in this way multiplies the danger to you and those around you by 10,000 times or more.
besides which the mantles are more useful as a test source when left alone and securely encased in a suitable lead box when not used (preferably double bagged to stop the dust!!!!) Th is really nasty stuff if messed around with and americium is even worse, don't do it!

a little while ago i went on a scavenging mission, got a dozen broken detectors from various sources but most of them worked fine so are in use.
the chip which connects to the detection chamber can apparently be repurposed as a radiation detector in combination with an ion chamber but its very fiddly and only gives a go/no go reading.

emphasis on SAFETY!!!
-A
(currently looking at using a Th doped welding rod and linear CCD to make a homemade CT scanner)

Bored Chemist

Sat Dec 18 2010, 01:43PM

Registered Member #193 Joined: Fri Feb 17 2006, 07:04AM
Location: sheffield
Posts: 1022

Since you think lead stops neutrons and you don't know what a dosimeter is you are clearly unfit to undertake this project.
I think this thread should stop here before anyone gets hurt.

Kilham

Sat Dec 18 2010, 02:02PM

Registered Member #2814 Joined: Wed Apr 21 2010, 12:28PM
Location: Scotland, UK
Posts: 24

Bored Chemist wrote ...

Since you think lead stops neutrons and you don't know what a dosimeter is you are clearly unfit to undertake this project.
I think this thread should stop here before anyone gets hurt.

This is probably the best advice on this thread.

if you have to ask what a Dosimeter is you need to learn a lot more about the hazards of what you propose to do. Once you have, you'll realise why nobody else goes there.

Bjørn

Sat Dec 18 2010, 04:30PM

Registered Member #27 Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 02:20AM
Location: Hyperborea
Posts: 2058

I am closing this thread because of failure to do basic research before starting to ask questions.

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