Re: Pu-Be Sources

[NSSIHOU@aol.com]

Californium 252 has some advantages as a result of providing a better energy 
spectrum with proper moderators but you pay for the convenience due to the 
rapid decay of the Cf-252. NSSI has fabricated up to 30 mCi Cf-252 sources 
for use in the oil well logging industry but one must build 5-10 at a time to 
be reasonably priced. At this time single sources can be purchased from 
Frontier in Solon, Oh or from Amersham.

If you prefer to use Pu-238, we have several 40 Ci sources that we would make 
available to you for the cost of a transport container and shipping. We also 
have several hundred 5 Ci and 20 Ci Am241Be neutron sources looking to be 
adopted. 

Disposal of Cf-252 is normally easier as the half life is shorter. NSSI 
decays the Cf-252 in house before disposal and at the time of disposal the 
Cf-252 has not been a problem. 

Current source design of alpha N neutron sources and fission sources has 
eliminated the pressure buildup problems identified in the older PU239Be 
neutron sources. I am not aware of any pressure build up problems with Cf-252 
sources at the activities you are interested in. 

If the sources are for use for neutron instrument calibration, Am241Be will 
give the same results as the Pu239Be or Pu238Be. The neutron energies are 
very close. 

Disposal of Am-241 and PuBe sources should be easier in the future as Los 
Alamos gets their source recovery program operational. Since it's 
implementation in April 1999, approximately 60 sources have been recovered 
and are in storage at the NSSI facility under this program. Los Alamos 
expects to recover thousands of sources under this program during the next 
two years. Los Alamos is currently fabricating and testing long term storage 
containers for use in this program. 

If you have an interest in any of the surplus sources NSSI has in inventory, 
please contact me at 713 641-0391.

Robert D Gallagher
NSSI 

 
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