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Re: Looking for vendor-polyethylene pig for neutron source



What you want is a "neutron howitzer. There are two vendors for this listed in

the "Nuclear News Buyers Guide 2003."



J. L. Shepherd & Associates:  818-898-2361, www.jlshepherd.com



Thermo MF Physics:  719-598-9549, www.thermomfphysics.com



The opinions expressed are strictly mine.

It's not about dose, it's about trust.

Curies forever.



Bill Lipton

liptonw@dteenergy.com





Doug Aitken wrote:



> At 09:21 AM 11/11/2003 +0200, you wrote:

> >Bobby,

> >Traditionally a sturdy drum filled with wax (optional borax added) was

> >often used with a source-sized hole down the middle to store a neutron

> >source. If that is considered a fire hazard, water (again with borax

> >optional) could be considered.  If most of the (thermalized)neutrons are

> >captured in boron, the gamma energy is about 480 keV, compared with the

> >rather penetrating 2.22 MeV if captured in hydrogen.

> >Chris Hofmeyr

>

> Building on this, a highly effective shielding (and very cheap compared

> with boron-loaded poly) can be made by filling your shield with borax

> granules and hydrating them to allow formation of a crystal lattice.

> Borax technical grade granules can be obtained from many vendors - e.g. Van

> Waters & Rogers here in Houston. Make sure to get true Borax, B037441 is

> this company's order number, (sodium tetraborate decahydrate, also referred

> to as 10 mol by this vendor).

> Fill your shield half full with tap water. Pour Borax granules into the

> shield, dispersing when it piles up above the water level. Maintain the

> water level above the Borax granules at all times. As the shield fills,

> Borax will displace the water which will run out of the shield as the

> granules take their place. Stir the mixture to ensure that air does not

> become trapped. Continue filling the shield until all water is displaced

> with borax and the shield is completely filled. The Borax granules will

> pack into a solid cake and will remain moist. Allow the shield to sit for a

> minimum of 48 hours to allow the water and borax to settle and also allow

> the borax to crystallize.

>

> Regards

>

> Doug Aitken             Schlumberger Drilling and Measurements QHSE

> Advisor

> Phone (Sugarland):      281 285-8009

> Phone (Home office):    713 797-0919

> Phone (Cell):           713 562-8585

> Principal E-mail: jdaitken@earthlink.net

> Schlumberger E-mail: daitken@sugar-land.oilfield.slb.com

> Mail:   300 Schlumberger Drive MD2, Room 111

>         Sugar Land, TX 77478

>

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