What is AM 241 used for?

Americium-241 is used as a neutron source in non-destructive testing of machinery and equipment, and as a thickness gauge in the glass industry. However, its most common application is as an ionization source in smoke detectors, and most of the several kilograms of americium made each year are used in this way.

What decays Am 241?

plutonium contamination
Americium-241 is formed in the environment by the decay of plutonium contamination from nuclear weapons production and testing. Americium-241 is an unstable isotope. As americium decays, it releases radiation and forms “daughter” elements.

How many neutrons does americium-241 have?

146
Americium-241

Does americium-241 occur naturally?

According to Lenntech, americium most likely occurs naturally in incredibly trace amounts in uranium minerals due to nuclear reactions. The isotope americium-241 is used in these detectors as americium dioxide (AmO2).

Is it legal to own americium?

Americium is the only man-made element which is legal to posses, and the amazing part is that you can buy it for less than $10 at any hardware store.

Is americium man-made?

Americium (chemical symbol Am) is a man-made radioactive metal that is solid under normal conditions. Americium is produced when plutonium absorbs neutrons in nuclear reactors or during nuclear weapons tests. Americium-241 is the most common form of Americium.

Why is phosphorus 32 unstable?

The nucleus of phosphorus-32 contains 15 protons and 17 neutrons, one more neutron than the most common isotope of phosphorus, phosphorus-31. Phosphorus-32 only exists in small quantities on Earth as it has a short half-life of 14 days and so decays rapidly.

Do smoke detectors still used americium?

Fires kill people but smoke detectors don’t even irradiate them. Ionization chamber smoke detectors contain a small amount of americium-241, a radioactive material. Smoke particles disrupt the low, steady electrical current produced by radioactive particles and trigger the detector’s alarm.

What happens if you eat americium?

If you swallow americium, a very small amount of what enters your digestive tract may also enter your blood. Most of the americium entering your blood leaves your body in your urine and feces.

What is the function of phosphorus 32?

Phosphorus-32 is one of the earliest known bone-seeking radioisotopes. It has been used in intraperitoneal infusion for treatment of tumors such as ovarian cancer and in the treatment of polycythemia vera. It is available for intravenous administration for bone pain palliation.

What are the benefits of phosphorus 32?

Chromic phosphate P 32 is used to treat cancer or related problems. It is put by catheter into the pleura (sac that contains the lungs) or into the peritoneum (sac that contains the liver, stomach, and intestines) to treat the leaking of fluid inside these areas that is caused by cancer.

Why is americium 241 used in gamma ray spectrometers?

Americium-241 is also suitable for calibration of gamma-ray spectrometers in the low-energy range, since its spectrum consists of nearly a single peak and negligible Compton continuum (at least three orders of magnitude lower intensity).

How long does it take for 241 Pu to reach 241 Am?

However, this process is rather slow: half of the original amount of 241 Pu decays to 241 Am after about 14 years, and the 241 Am amount reaches a maximum after 70 years. The obtained 241 Am can be used for generating heavier americium isotopes by further neutron capture inside a nuclear reactor.

What kind of neutrons can be produced from 241 Am?

Oxides of 241 Am pressed with beryllium can be very efficient neutron sources, since they emit alpha particles during radioactive decay : Here americium acts as the alpha source, and beryllium produces neutrons owing to its large cross-section for the (α,n) nuclear reaction: