JRJohnson wrote:
wrote in message
ups.com...

....

The casing for most reactor fuel is called zircaloy, don't know the
composition of that alloy. TRIGA's use some sort of stable hydride
(though maybe inside a thin layer of something else).

--

FF

Do fuel rods have an outer sheath of mild steel?

No, I think the outer case is zircaloy for power reactors. I don't
know what it is for TRIGAs but it will be a corrosion-resistant alloy
for any water moderated reactor.

Don't think so, but this
was obviously constructed to hold the 'swarf' (for lack of a better
term) in
the center hole. Still beats the hell out of me.

But there are other radiation sources besides fuel rods. For example
Polonium 210, an alpha emitter, is used to 'destatic' materials. But
the Po-210 has to be on the outside for the alphas to reach the
material.

There are medical sources using isotiopes like Cesium 137 (or 134) and
ssources used for food and seed irradiation. Those will rely on
Gammas or Betas, high energy betas can penetrate a thin layer
of steel and the cource might be designed to use the 'build-up',
secondary radiation scattered from the shielding when the radiation
from the primary source is stopped.


Research into zirconium was productive only in that I learned that
the
melting temp was around 3350 degrees F.

Still wondering, JRJ

It just _might_ be prudent to get that stuff checked out using a
proper survey meter. Hospitals and Universities are not as tightly
regulated as the nuclear industry.

--

FF