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X-rays and Alu-foil

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LAN_403

wicked alex

Wed Dec 23 2009, 05:11PM

Registered Member #1786 Joined: Tue Oct 28 2008, 03:23PM
Location:
Posts: 43

Hi, If you have a objekt warped in alu-foil, can X-rays see throw it and indendifie the objekt?

uzzors2k

Wed Dec 23 2009, 05:36PM

Registered Member #95 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 04:57PM
Location: Norway
Posts: 1308

Jeez, use a spell checker. Aluminum foil is neither dense nor thick, so yes, all but the lowest energy x-ray sources will see through it. If you're contemplating an x-ray machine or smuggling goods, do yourself a favor and don't.

LutzH

Thu Dec 24 2009, 08:30PM

Registered Member #1721 Joined: Sat Sept 27 2008, 08:44PM
Location:
Posts: 136

Hello:

Aluminum is used to filter X-rays and remove the low energy soft ones. In medicine we use 1-2mm of aluminum as a filter.

So aluminum foil will not show up at all on x-ray unless it is a dense crumpled ball of it, even then it will be hard to see. You can buy lead lined pouches to protect film from airport x-rays, but they can still see what is inside, the image is just a little mottled.

So to answer your question if you wrap something in aluminum foil, only the foild will not show on the x-ray, the object inside will show up just like the foil is absent.

There is a strong metal which when made correctly does not show up on x-ray at all, even a blade made from it will not show up. I will not be the person who opens this pandora's box by posting what it is on the web.

I will just say that x-ray screening is part of the illusion of security perpetrated by the US Gov. They put on a good show to fool people into thinking that they are safe. Its all about the money, which has become our national religion: The all mighty dollar. The illusion of security gets them to fly more.

Real security requires educated people, who have to be paid real wages, doing this would be giving money to someone who is not wealthy, and that's un-American. Think about it:

If a drug mule can stick kilo's of drugs in their rear, what is going to prevent the terrorist from doing the same with C-4?

We have been safe due to "Luck" not due to security. So the next time you "Take off your shoe" think about it and notice all of the gaping holes. When I fly I look at the people, if someone or something does not look right, I take note and try to sit by them initiate a small conversation etc. If I then get the heebeeGeeBees, I will not hesitate to approach an airline representative. I have only needed to do this once, and the airline folks were very discreet,and did not hassle the person, they were however very appreciative, confiming their low confidence level in the airport security folks in the conversation.

Europe and Israel do real security, complete with highly trained screeners, and well trained mental health professionals screening ALL pasengers. When you have to do something you do not re-invent the wheel, just copy these folks for real security. The problem is that this costs money, and there are not millions of dollars going to sub-contractors,who lobbied their gov. representative for the contract. So we go on trying the square, the triangle, and the hexagon to make a wheel.

Conundrum

Fri Dec 25 2009, 08:39AM

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

purchased a "film safe" made by hama, from jessops.

will test with known sources and let you know.

(i have Th232 and Am241 as well as small xray producing rectifier if i ever manage to get it working)

Proud Mary

Fri Dec 25 2009, 11:02AM

Registered Member #543 Joined: Tue Feb 20 2007, 04:26PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4992

LutzH wrote ...

aluminum foil will not show up at all on x-ray unless it is a dense crumpled ball of it, even then it will be hard to see.

Surely, one needs to tailor the tube according to the needs of the application. I have a transmission target tube with a maximum anode potential of 15Kv at 50 uA, whose rays will be almost completely blocked by aluminium foil.

Z28Fistergod

Fri Dec 25 2009, 04:56PM

Registered Member #2040 Joined: Fri Mar 20 2009, 10:13PM
Location: Fairfax VA
Posts: 180

LutzH wrote ...

...
If a drug mule can stick kilo's of drugs in their rear, what is going to prevent the terrorist from doing the same with C-4?
...

Yeah, but we would know something is wrong as soon as someone tries to check their mule.....unless.....oh, you said.....eeeewwwww.

klugesmith

Sat Dec 26 2009, 03:46AM

Registered Member #2099 Joined: Wed Apr 29 2009, 12:22AM
Location: Los Altos, California
Posts: 1716

LutzH wrote ...
So we go on trying the square, the triangle, and the hexagon to make a wheel.

At least the triangle was an improvement over the square wheel. It eliminated one bump.

LutzH

Thu Dec 31 2009, 04:13AM

Registered Member #1721 Joined: Sat Sept 27 2008, 08:44PM
Location:
Posts: 136

Hello:

Ya now with the most recent security failure I am sure we will see the hexagon!

Yes true a very soft x-ray tube like a lorentz tube will be affected by Al foil, but one layer of foil will transmit even Cu Ka x-rays. The point is when you try to image with the x-rays the inherent filtration of the film cassette, or the IT tube will absorb much more than the foil. The front of most standard x-ray cassettes is 10-50 times the thickness of foil aluminum, although new digital cassettes use graphite. So for spectro work it could a problem but for imaging, the foil is of no consequence.

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