[ RadSafe ] invisitigation of nano particles contamination

[James Salsman]

Khalid Aleissa wrote:

> Few weeks ago, there were a couple of post in Radsafe about nano
> analysis of Uranium  (DU mainly). I had some e-mail contacts with those
> interested in this field since I am interested as well. Unfortunately,
> I had a HD crash and could not recover my e-mail archive. I would be
> glad if any of you refresh my archive with those interested contacts
> and works (papers or reports). New information is also highly welcomed.

http://radlab.nl/radsafe/archives/2005-June/001980.html
http://radlab.nl/pipermail/radsafe/2005-July/000035.html
http://radlab.nl/pipermail/radsafe/2005-July/000042.html

http://www.nanodiagnostics.it/

People at Nanodiagnostics.it have been studying the U.S.
Air Force's "Morphoplogical Characteristics of Particulate 
Matter ... from High Velocity Impact of Depleted Uranium 
Projectiles"
  http://www.bovik.org/du/nanoparticles.pdf

That Air Force report cites Nuclear Science and Engineering, 
vol.  15 (1963), but only one of L. Baker articles.  They 
should also have sited the one next to it on pp. 388-394.

In short, when pyrophoric DU (burning uranium) strikes 
other metals, they liquify and spray out as droplets, which 
are for some reason called "nanoparticles" instead of 
"little balls of formerly-molten armor metals, mixed with 
whatever else happened to be nearby at the time."

Any uranium which was once part of these little nanodroplets
seems to get absorbed (good if its U(IV) and bad if its in 
the U(VI) oxidation state) such that there is usually no 
residual uranium mixed in with the armor metal spray by the 
time the Italians get around to removing it from tissue.  
There could be at least a few different reasons for that.

Sincerely,
James Salsman