SPI-Chem™ Uranyl Compounds and Depleted Uranium
Be sure you understand the products you are using!
Introduction to depleted uranium:
Naturally occurring radioactivity in certain of the "radioactive" elements
can pose a substantial health risk to laboratory workers using such
materials in their laboratories.
Hence, SPI Supplies offers uranyl compounds manufactured only from such
uranium that is described as "depleted" uranium, that is, uranium from
which the radioactive isotopes have been substantially reduced.
The key word here is "substantially", which does not mean "completely". This
means that there is a very low level of residual radioactivity in any compounds
made from depleted uranium. The level is so low, however, that it is generally
considered "safe" for the people working in the laboratory, and using it in
laboratory quantities.
The origins of the world's supply of "depleted" uranium is a by-product of
the nuclear enrichment programs of several different countries and since
everyone has the need to enrich to the same degree, the by-products have
been depleted to the same degree as well. Hence, whether the uranyl
compounds come from SPI Supplies or some other vendor, the point is,
everyone has in their product depleted uranium that has been depleted to
more or less the same amount.
The one thing you want to watch out for is this: Until about 1960, chemical
manufacturers and suppliers did not worry about depleted uranium. They
supplied the uranyl compounds with naturally occurring uranium which had
higher levels of the radioactive isotopes. One can usually tell these old
bottles from more recent ones by their old labels, often times carrying the
names of suppliers long having since gone out of business (or were merged
into other firms).
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Friday September 05, 2008
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