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IrC
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Don't be too paranoid, that was some years ago and it was concerning firework materials. I highly doubt anyone is going to worry about small
experimenter quantities of DU.
"Science is the belief in the ignorance of the experts" Richard Feynman
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Texium
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I really want to buy some, but I can't afford it myself right now.
Maybe I can convince my parents to buy some for me. "Hey Mom, see, I'd like to buy some uranium… it's just kind of pricy and also disappears from
the market quite frequently, so I have to buy it now. No, it's not too dangerous!"
Well, it would definitely be nice to have for my element collection.
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blogfast25
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Quote: Originally posted by IrC  | Don't be too paranoid, that was some years ago and it was concerning firework materials. I highly doubt anyone is going to worry about small
experimenter quantities of DU.
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And how do you know it's DU?
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Dan Vizine
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You think they don't monitor this website already?
Yes, it's truer and truer that we are evolving into a country where privacy is being consumed by fear. But we aren't a fully actualized police state
quite yet and since no law specifically forbids my interests (as long as I don't violate waste disposal practices or create an imminent threat ) I'm
not much worried.
Besides, really, which is more dangerous, dispersal of a pound of thorium nitrate or a pound of explosive shoved into a pressure cooker by a disturbed
young turd?
Last time I looked, thorium fluoride, oxide, nitrate and metal were all actively being sold on eBay in modest quantities. A year ago, or maybe longer,
one guy sold a one pound chunk of U.
I think the authorities are smart enough to prioritize this issue and realize that there are many more dangerous things out there deserving their
attention, like decommissioned medical equipment with really "hot" material. Sure, there's an approved way to dispose of things like that, but we all
know that some companies circumvent that daily to save money.
That being said, an eBay friend was approached and talked to by [unspecified] officials when he was selling multiple bottles of thoria of all sizes
over a period of time. He stopped offering it not because of legal persecution, but because it just wasn't moving well.
Part of the reason I dropped my pseudonymous "Zan Divine" moniker is that I'm not really concerned that I'm viewed as a threat by anybody and the
realization that if a law enforcement official wants the true name of the account holder, they probably just send a request to the NSA. By the time I
leave this mortal coil, those of you still around will be spied on by your TV, the camera in your laptop, rooftop cameras springing up like
dandelions, recon. satellites, your cellphone, your car's gps and probably an implanted chip you were told was for medical information.
Privacy is like smoke, these days, very easily circumvented. It's an illusion. It will barely exist in the future. Personally, I'm very glad to have
been born in the early 50's and to have lived most of my life without the "absolutely essential" connectedness they hand us today. I love/hate my
cellphone, with love losing the battle. It's just my electronic leash so someone can pull my chain anytime they feel so inclined.
Pardon the rant, child of the 60's y'know....
[Edited on 18-4-2014 by Dan Vizine]
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MrHomeScientist
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LOL time to retreat to my hidden underground bunker!
I don't have the paperwork on me right now, but the label specified it was U-238. Came with an MSDS too, which they don't usually provide. I'll look
it over later tonight and see if I missed anything interesting about it.
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IrC
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Because it is a solid chunk of U metal and no way are they selling weapons grade. Pure refined U would not make it to the surplus market before
processing since said processing is the reason they extracted the metal from ore to begin with.
"Science is the belief in the ignorance of the experts" Richard Feynman
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The Volatile Chemist
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| Quote: Originally posted by MrHomeScientist | | Quote: Originally posted by blogfast25 |
The Feds are now frantically browsing receipts, cop copters (lol) at the ready to apprehend customers. Run, Mr H S, RUN!  |
LOL time to retreat to my hidden underground bunker!
I don't have the paperwork on me right now, but the label specified it was U-238. Came with an MSDS too, which they don't usually provide. I'll look
it over later tonight and see if I missed anything interesting about it. |
So you're that kind of person eh? I always thought the "home" part of your name was a lie!!! 
[Edited on 4-18-2014 by The Volatile Chemist]
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blogfast25
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And of course there's nothing in between natural and weapons grade?
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IrC
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Think about what sources UN would have to obtain U metal for sale considering they would have acquired it from some form of surplus outlet for such
things. We are not talking about what Sigma bought from a government source to sell at high prices to University Labs with the required licensing.
[Edited on 4-19-2014 by IrC]
"Science is the belief in the ignorance of the experts" Richard Feynman
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jock88
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Just wondering do DU rounds (the bits that fly out of the gun) turn up in places like Iraq etc. Some of them must survive the impact of landing (say
in sand) if they travel for a time and slow up a bit?
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copperastic
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Jock88 that could be how UN gets them.
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IrC
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There was a large industrial source used for aircraft ballast, being trended away from in later years. Doubt they use it in new aircraft anymore. If I
had to guess this was the DU source. If they no longer put it in aircraft it ends up somewhere for sale.
"Science is the belief in the ignorance of the experts" Richard Feynman
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blogfast25
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Don't forget that large market for lead balloons. Their non-flying properties are greatly enhanced by DU!
The thought of UN staff trotting the Iraqi desert scouting for undamaged DU armour piercing penetrators really made my day though...
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Dan Vizine
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| Quote: Originally posted by IrC | There was a large industrial source used for aircraft ballast, being trended away from in later years. Doubt they use it in new aircraft anymore. If I
had to guess this was the DU source. If they no longer put it in aircraft it ends up somewhere for sale.
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Spot on, my friend. More likely than recovered projectiles. Tanks used DU for bolt-on armor plate additions during the Iraqi conflicts.
Projectiles, armor and weights seem to account for almost all DU except for the DU they wrap around fusion bombs to get fission-fusion-fission bombs
like the Tzar Bomba (sp?) and other too-powerful-to-be-really-practical nukes.
You can make DU produce an enormous explosion if you have a fusion bomb for initiation. In fact, the fission yield is larger than the fusion yield in
3-stage nukes which is contrary to what most people believe. Sometimes much larger. If they had wrapped the Tsar model in DU instead of Pb, the
estimated yield would have been ~100 megatons (nearly double the actual). DU fissions very nicely in a deluge of nearly relativistic neutrons.
[Edited on 19-4-2014 by Dan Vizine]
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gdflp
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Large Amounts of Uranium
Just went on UN's website and saw something. Now United Nuclear will sell you 1 POUND of uranium metal for the low low price of $4500.00. Anyone interested?
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blogfast25
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Wow. That's quite bizarre...
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prof_genius
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I think you could find an aviation scrap yard that has a 747-100, and ask for the counterweights. They are made of depleted uranium, and as there are
few 747-100s in operation and the fact that U counterweights have been phased out in the late 60's early 70's, they would probably not cost that
much(I think).
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APO
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New! Large quantity uranium available here.
Side note: I wish there was a scrap yard near bye, so I could get some counter weights.
"Damn it George! I told you not to drop me!"
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prof_genius
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I only know of it being used on 747-100's but it was probably used on 707's, the problem that you could face is the weights gone. I know some scrap
companies give them to the EPA.
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Brain&Force
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I believe some Cessna 172s also have DU counterweights, as do some cranes. Though it's probably not pure (may have some other heavy metals mixed in).
At the end of the day, simulating atoms doesn't beat working with the real things...
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prof_genius
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I suppose only the early models would have the U counterweights, they use a mixture of heavy metals now.
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neptunium
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i will never understand the paranoia about radioactive materials...... virus and bacteria ok
but weackly active source? no
get a clue would ya
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APO
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As long as it's mostly DU, in my opinion it's useful.
"Damn it George! I told you not to drop me!"
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