Re: PuBe (fwd)

[David Abbott <abbott@washops.llnl.gov>]

At 09:54 AM 7/15/96 -0500, you wrote:
>Dear Radsafe
>
>I am forwarding this question from a student I work with.
>
>Any information would be helpful.  Please reply to me and I
>will pass on info.  Thanks.
>
>D. Steva
>dps3c@fVirginia.edu 
>> > >
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> > > To whom it may concern,
>> > > 
>> > > I am currently working with a 5 Ci Pu-Be source(Pu-239).  I
>> > > need to know what the construction and constitution of the cylinder is.  
>      The cylinder is 10 cm in length and about 2.5 cm in diameter.  Is
>> > > the Pu and Be intimately mixed or is the Pu encapsulated in a
>> > > Be shell.  I presume there is a generic design for this
>      type of source. Is the Pu concentrated anywhere within the cylinder
>      or uniformly spread throughout length.  
>> > > Thank you.
>> > > 
>> > > 				Sincerely,
>> > > 				Carl Stebbings
>> > > 
> 
>
>
It depends on how old the source is.  Since it contains Pu-239 (as opposed
to Pu-238), it may be one of the old ones where metalic Pu and Be were fired
in a tantalum cruicible and melted together.  Lids were then welded on the
tantalum container, which was then leak tested and inserted into a secondary
container.  Later it was discovered that mixed oxide powders worked almost
as well.  PuO2 and BeO2 powders were sealed into containers, but I can't
recall if they were tantalum or not.  Probably not, since not high
temperature firing was required for the mixed oxides.  

Dave Abbott
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
abbott@washops.llnl.gov