Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Legally acquiring radioactive isotopes

Fusionfire - 29-8-2011 at 07:35

Hi guys,

Is it even remotely possible for a private individual or (very) small registered company ;) to get hold of alpha or beta sources legally?

This wiki gives a run down on the preferred isotopes if one's goal is a radiothermal generator. Pu-238 is preferred :D

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_gen...

Thanks.

[Edited on 29-8-2011 by Fusionfire]

not_important - 29-8-2011 at 07:44

Which country? Some places have zero regulations, or poor controls; in either case the black market will provide.

Otherwise, I suspect a great deal of hoop-jumping, as you need a pretty toasty isotope to drive a RTG, see your referenced Wiki.


Fusionfire - 29-8-2011 at 07:49

Which countries have zero regulations? I presume it would be possible to buy tens of grams of the stuff through an intermediary in those countries.

Has anyone looked into using radioactive sources to provide the energy needed for highly endothermic processes? E.g. using a radioactive source instead of an electrical arc for the Birkeland-Eyde process.

bfesser - 29-8-2011 at 08:01

That's one deadly gumdrop!

<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_generator_plutonium_pellet.jpg" />

Wizzard - 29-8-2011 at 08:32

Depending on your power requirements, some specially tuned solar panel (dyes?) and a nice, new Betalight or two might provide a few mW!

bob800 - 29-8-2011 at 12:16

Quote: Originally posted by Fusionfire  
Is it even remotely possible for a private individual or (very) small registered company ;) to get hold of alpha or beta sources legally?


United Nuclear sells isotopes which do not require a NRC license to individuals: http://unitednuclear.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath.... I'm not sure if these are powerful enough for you, but I've bought from them several times and have been satisfied with every order (except the price).

Endimion17 - 7-9-2011 at 06:01

It should be illegal in all countries. I hope it is. It must be.
Fusionfire, you're talking about RTG. There is a HUGE difference between an RTG and "a source of particles". A freakin' banana is a source of particles. Active material inside RTG is something that can render a whole city uninhabitable.
And United Nuclear doesn't sell anything remotely powerful. They sell plastic pellets with microcuries of material. RTGs have tens of thousands of curies. I'm shocked how can anyone even compare these two things.

Yeah, you can get those things at black market if you have huge amounts of cash and willing to take a risk to be brutally murdered. I recommend everyone to watch this movie. It's not daisies we're talking about. It's worse than pure heroin.


(bfesser, this has nothing to do with you, I just want to be sure the myth doesn't spread - that "gumdrop" glows just because it's been buried in asbestos or similar heat insulating material for some time, until the heat built up. Small pellets like that one don't give enough energy to glow by themselves. They're just warm to the touch.
In case you didn't know, it's not plutonium, but plutonium dioxide, a ceramic like material. Plutonium catches fire like most, if not all, lanthanides/actinides. Therefore, it's used in the way more inert form.)

[Edited on 7-9-2011 by Endimion17]

[Edited on 7-9-2011 by Endimion17]

unionised - 7-9-2011 at 10:50

Quote: Originally posted by Fusionfire  
Which countries have zero regulations? I presume it would be possible to buy tens of grams of the stuff through an intermediary in those countries.



Can anyone think of something that the customs officials would find easier to detect than a smuggled powerful radioactive source?
It's probably the sort of thing where they lock you up until they can prove that you are not a terrorist; and they don't bother to look for evidence that would exonerate you.
It's really rather toxic.

White Yeti - 2-10-2011 at 13:07

It might be a little far fetched, but if you send a hydrogen balloon into the stratosphere, you would be able to irradiate whatever you want with alpha particles, protons, beta particles, muons, the list goes on....

This is just as far fetched as trying to obtain a radioactive isotope here on Earth. The only radioactive element I can think of that is active enough to be useful and still somewhat accessible would be radium from radium paint. This stuff will **** you up though, so don't mess with it.

Forget the RTG idea, many have thought of it, many have abandoned it (fortunately).

Though, I like Endimion's idea of using a bannana as a source of particles:)

BromicAcid - 2-10-2011 at 16:22

I once beheld a bucket half full of RTG devices for pace makers 'recovered' after use.

White Yeti - 2-10-2011 at 16:39

Quote: Originally posted by BromicAcid  
I once beheld a bucket half full of RTG devices for pace makers 'recovered' after use.


What do you mean "recovered"? Stolen? Bought off the black market?

[Edited on 10-3-2011 by White Yeti]

BromicAcid - 2-10-2011 at 18:41

Original users had passed, they had been amassed at a legitimate collection point. I was there as a third party for hazardous waste disposal and was told what they were and that they were none of my concern.

Zander - 11-10-2011 at 08:07

I keep threatening my roommates with the prospect of building a small PHWR with stuff I could get from United Nuclear...