Drum Containing Mystery RAM -Reply

[FRAMEP@ORAU.GOV]

Erick Lindstrom wrote in part:

>Written on the drum (hardly legible)
>        VANADIUM PENTOXIDE
>        URAVAN
>        Contract At 05-1-36
>        Lot 127 Drum 79 

>We're well aware of the properties of the vanadium compound, and
>what vandium could have been used for.  As for URAVAN, the only
>thing that comes to mind is Uranium/Vanadium.

>We've got to cool down the GeLi before we can do any gamma work.
>Any thoughts or suggestions? 

If you've let a real GeLi [HPGe?] warm up and now have to cool it
down. Don't expect much of a spectrum :-)   

Uravan is a place in Colorado where uranium and vanadium was mined
and processed begining in 1948 or so.

As I understand it, attempts were made (don't know where this was
done) to produce uranium-vanadium alloys using powdered vanadium
pentoxide (as well as magnesium). Didn't work very well and there
were some rather violent reactions with the magnesium. 

The activity would likely be uranium then but the beta energies don't
seem right. Pa-234m, which should be there, has a 2.3  MeV beta. 

Gamma analysis should nail it.

Good luck

Paul Frame
Professional Training Programs
Oak Ridge Associated Universities
framep@orau.gov