Re: Info on radium paint?

["Randy Ross" <RNROSS@BCSC02.GOV.BC.CA>]

rnross@bcsc02.gov.bc.ca

That's not much - try measuring a WWII fighter airplane compass!

The opinions and material above are those of the author and do
not represent BC Systems Corp.
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X-Comment:  Radiation Safety Distribution List

My office deals with the occasional radium painted dial.  The radionuclide
is Ra-226.  I've never worked out the concentrations, but the most active
dial I've seen reads about 1 mR/h on contact.  Interestingly, the dial
is on a radiation detection instrument (but the scale is in R/h, so
one mR/h would hardly show up).  As for manufacturing techniques, the
radium paint was simply painted on by hand.

Hope this info is useful.

Chris Clement
Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Office
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited
CLEMENTC@CC4.CRL.AECL.CA