[ RadSafe ] Background from Static Electricity in Tritium counters

[Bob]

Felipe - 

Try using laundry anti-static wipes (or anti-static spray applied to a lab
wipe). You might also need to consider treating the carriers (racks) as
well. 

Do make sure, though, to verify that there are no residues that impact the
optical integrity of the scintillation vials. 


Bob Shannon
Kaiser Analytical Management Services
Broomfield Colorado
303-432-1137

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On Behalf
Of Felipe Gaitan
Sent: Friday, December 23, 2005 2:30 PM
To: radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: [ RadSafe ] Background from Static Electricity in Tritium counters

Dear Radsafers,

Does any body have a suggestion for minimizing the effects of static 
electricity in tritium counters?

I'm using glass vials.  The effect has become obvious since the 
weather turned cold and subsequently the air became drier.  I can 
measure the background slowing decreasing over a couple of days as 
long as I leave the vial in the counter.  As soon as I take it out 
and then put it back, the background counts jump up again, sometimes 
by as much as a factor of two.  It appears to affect some vials and 
not others.

Thanks for your help,

Felipe
-- 
D. Felipe Gaitan, Ph.D.
Chief Scientific Officer
Impulse Devices, Inc.
13366 Grass Valley Av.  Unit H
Grass Valley, CA  95945
Phone: 530-273-6500 Ext. 112
Fax:  806-498-6731

email: gaitan at impulsedevices.com
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