From: Neon John <johngd@bellsouth.net> Subject: Re: "Woah" Uranium glass Date: Tue, 22 Jun 1999 05:44:33 EDT Newsgroups: rec.crafts.glass Brian wrote: > > Thorium is another radioactive element, it is formed when Uranium decays. It is > a beta and alpha emitter, and is not terribly active. It is not something that > the average person wants to have around, but it is not at all in the class of > cobalt 60 or Strontium 90, which are powerful gamma emitters that release great > quantities of dangerous radiation, rather than the milder alpha and beta > emitters like thorium and U238. Hate to be picky but... Sr-90 is a pure beta emitter. While Th is in the decay chain of U, thorium of useable quantities are mined from the earth. Thorium is one of the heavy, mildly radioactive transuranic elements, located in actinic row of the periodic table along with uranium plutonium and several other interesting metals. It is refined from its phosphate ore called Monazite. Other lesser quality ores are of the oxide form and are called thorite and thorianite. More than you possibly could want to know about thorium can be found at http://www.shef.ac.uk/chemistry/web-elements/webelements/elements/text/key/Th.html. Relative to glass, I can't imagine what art application thoriated glass could have. Thoriated glass has very low dispersion and a very high refractive index. These qualities make it an excellent optical glass and indeed, this is a major non-nuclear use. Because of its low dispersion (ability to "produce a rainbow"), anything artistic made of thoriated glass would be dull looking and would not sparkle. Thorium is a nuclear fuel and can be transmuted into U-233 by neutron bombardment. U-233 is a poor but viable fissile material (capable of being made into a bomb.) Thorium has many common non-nuclear uses. One use that almost everyone is familiar with (even though most don't know it) is the Welsbach mantle, otherwise known as the Coleman Lantern mantle. Thorium is what gives the mantle its characteristic greenish brilliant white glow. And yes, it will make a geiger counter chatter away. Other uses include thoriated tungsten filaments in tubes such as the CRT on your computer and thoriated tungsten welding electrodes. Thorium oxide is an excellent refractory, having one of the highest melting points of all substances and having excellent thermal conductivity. I've already mentioned optical glass. Not familiar with thorium enamel. Would love to know. Details? John -- John De Armond johngdSPAMNOT@bellsouth.net Neon John's Custom Neon Cleveland, TN "Bendin' Glass 'n Passin' Gas" |