Re: Thorium-painted nosecones

[Grimm <largrimm@pacbell.net>]

H. G Claycamp wrote:
> 
> I have received a question about the amount of thorium coating a
> magnesium-alloyed missile nose-cone(?)  I'm not sure that I know the
> application or the application process, also.  I do know that the devices
> were "surplussed" to the highest bidders.  It appears that some of the
> devices were "recovered" later due to a change of heart on the
> release to the public.
> 
> Can anyone help?


If the thorium is in the paint, which was my experience with rockets,
you will find that it is less than 2% by weight, which makes it exempt
natural material and therefore not normally regulated (unless you live
in Nebraska where the director of the State RCP at the time required the
company for whom I was consulting to get a materials license!)

Larry Grimm
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