RE: Mystery thorium rods - please help?

[Dan Hoffman <dhoffman@pangea-group.com>]

Thorium has historically been used as a hardening alloy in magnesium metal
for certain applications.  If I had to guess, I'd say that's probably what
you have.

Dan Hoffman, CIH,CSP,CHMM
Pangea Group Inc.

-----Original Message-----
From: Sara DeCair [mailto:DecairS@state.mi.us]
Sent: Tuesday, October 10, 2000 8:04 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: Mystery thorium rods - please help?


To see a digital picture of one of these mystery items: 
http://www.deq.state.mi.us/dwr/Rad/Images/FPTC_rods.jpg
These metallic rods contain thorium according to portable gamma spec and
give a reading of 300 uR/hr (bkg 6 uR/hr) near contact with a five-gallon
bucket full of them.  There is a total of about 65 pounds of these things,
and what they are is a mystery to me and the scrap yard owner who has them.
They would be specifically exempt from NRC regs if they were welding rods,
but their dimensions, 4 to 5 inches long with a circular diameter of 5/8
inch, is much shorter and thicker than today's commonly available thoriated
welding rods.  If you have an idea of what they might be, please let me
know.  Thanks!

Sara D. DeCair
decairs@state.mi.us


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