I've read that depleted uranium is six times as dense as lead. It would
be nifty to have a chunk of it, that is if it's not radioactive.

The US military uses it for missile nosecones and whatnot, so it can't
be very dangerous.

Is this a controlled material? If not then does anyone know where I can
get a small piece?

Thanks for your help.

"Bruce W.1" wrote in message
...
I've read that depleted uranium is six times as dense as lead. It would
be nifty to have a chunk of it, that is if it's not radioactive.

The US military uses it for missile nosecones and whatnot, so it can't be
very dangerous.

Is this a controlled material? If not then does anyone know where I can
get a small piece?

Thanks for your help.


From: http://science.howstuffworks.com/bunker-buster3.htm
"Density - Depleted uranium is 1.7 times heavier than lead, and 2.4 times
heavier than steel. "

Something that I didn't know:
"Depleted uranium burns. It is something like magnesium in this regard. If
you heat uranium up in an oxygen environment (normal air), it will ignite
and burn with an extremely intense flame. Once inside the target, burning
uranium is another part of the bomb's destructive power."

From: http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/faq_17apr.htm
"Depleted uranium is a heavy metal that is also slightly radioactive"
and give further information about the effects and the human body.

From: http://www.miltoxproj.org/DU%20Fact%20Sheet.htm
DU is regulated as a radioactive substance by the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.

there was a mod to the L-1011 airplane that involved putting depleted
uranium weights as counterbalances on a couple of control arms - I wonder
what happens to those weights when the planes are decomissioned.

and, if you go to iraq, near the kuwait border, you will find a fair amount
of it from the desert storm campaign - of course it's a bit of a trip.


"Lane" lane (no spam) at copperaccents dot com wrote in message
...

"Bruce W.1" wrote in message
...
I've read that depleted uranium is six times as dense as lead. It would
be nifty to have a chunk of it, that is if it's not radioactive.

The US military uses it for missile nosecones and whatnot, so it can't
be
very dangerous.

Is this a controlled material? If not then does anyone know where I can
get a small piece?

Thanks for your help.


From: http://science.howstuffworks.com/bunker-buster3.htm
"Density - Depleted uranium is 1.7 times heavier than lead, and 2.4 times
heavier than steel. "

Something that I didn't know:
"Depleted uranium burns. It is something like magnesium in this regard. If
you heat uranium up in an oxygen environment (normal air), it will ignite
and burn with an extremely intense flame. Once inside the target, burning
uranium is another part of the bomb's destructive power."

From: http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/faq_17apr.htm
"Depleted uranium is a heavy metal that is also slightly radioactive"
and give further information about the effects and the human body.

From: http://www.miltoxproj.org/DU%20Fact%20Sheet.htm
DU is regulated as a radioactive substance by the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.

"william_b_noble" wrote in message
news:1113964852.5d08e5c3f6a40a45cff67c45c0346ce9@t eranews...
there was a mod to the L-1011 airplane that involved putting depleted
uranium weights as counterbalances on a couple of control arms - I wonder
what happens to those weights when the planes are decomissioned.

and, if you go to iraq, near the kuwait border, you will find a fair
amount
of it from the desert storm campaign - of course it's a bit of a trip.



Found article about someone who actually got a hold of some...

http://www.theodoregray.com/PeriodicTable/Elements/092/
About half way down the page, look for "Depleted uranium cylinder".
"After several false starts, I now have an indisputably genuine, solid
machined cylinder of pure depleted uranium metal. Although vast quantities
of this stuff exist (vast as in at least a million tons worldwide), it is
incredibly hard to get a hold of. This is because there are no uses for it
that are not fairly tightly regulated: Most are military, and the civilian
uses are for things like aircraft counterweights or radio pharmaceutical
shipping containers. Not the sort of thing that's likely to end up in the
local surplus auction."

In article 1113964852.5d08e5c3f6a40a45cff67c45c0346ce9@teran ews,
"william_b_noble" wrote:

there was a mod to the L-1011 airplane that involved putting depleted
uranium weights as counterbalances on a couple of control arms - I
wonder what happens to those weights when the planes are
decomissioned.

IIRC from A&P school, more than a few large aircraft use it as a control
surface counterweight material. The weights must be disposed of properly
when the aircraft is written off.

After accidents, finding the weights (and recorders) are a top priority.

Recall they're heavily cad plated... impression stamped with warnings,
and painted international orange for easy identification.

I Googled a little, found this FAA advisory circular.

http://www.faa.gov/fsdo/orl/files/advcir/AC20-123.TXT

Erik

maybe so, but when I was in the lab and these were being tested, they were
green, and two of them fit in a 1 galon paint can (that was surpsingly
heavy) - it was amusing to watch the company mail person pick up the can -
or almost pick it up, do a double take, and then barely move it with both
hands, from the "out box" it was in, into his mail cart.

"Erik" wrote in message
...
In article 1113964852.5d08e5c3f6a40a45cff67c45c0346ce9@teran ews,
"william_b_noble" wrote:

there was a mod to the L-1011 airplane that involved putting depleted
uranium weights as counterbalances on a couple of control arms - I
wonder what happens to those weights when the planes are
decomissioned.

IIRC from A&P school, more than a few large aircraft use it as a control
surface counterweight material. The weights must be disposed of properly
when the aircraft is written off.

After accidents, finding the weights (and recorders) are a top priority.

Recall they're heavily cad plated... impression stamped with warnings,
and painted international orange for easy identification.

I Googled a little, found this FAA advisory circular.

http://www.faa.gov/fsdo/orl/files/advcir/AC20-123.TXT

Erik

william_b_noble wrote:

there was a mod to the L-1011 airplane that involved putting depleted
uranium weights as counterbalances on a couple of control arms - I wonder
what happens to those weights when the planes are decomissioned.

and, if you go to iraq, near the kuwait border, you will find a fair amount
of it from the desert storm campaign - of course it's a bit of a trip.



Some of the aircraft I have worked on over the years have had DU in
them as mass balance weights for flight controls.

It is relatively benign. We were under strict guidance to not drill,
grind, or otherwise alter the weights. There were procedures in place
that dealt with crash salvage and recovering the weights for disposal,
if it was required.

I am under the impression that the OP is suffering from a bad case of
ignorant, and perhaps should do his own homework to see if he really
wants to deal with the stuff. If he wants heavy, lead is probably his
best bet for safe and easy. Maybe solid tungsten, if he has the budget.

I expect that if the OP were in a position to actually require DU, he
would already know the risks vs. the benefits, as well as the sources.

Cheers
Trevor Jones

My father was a Marine for 25 years and from every source I have heard
depleted uranium is very toxic and yes radioactive. The gunners in
CH-53's have to wear special gloves when loading the rounds and while
firing, they are used in weapons like the GAU 2B mini gun and such.
Very unlikely you could buy any as it is a controlled material.

So, the quick way to obtain a quantity of DU would be to go to Bagdad
and point something at a chopper?
- -


wrote:
My father was a Marine for 25 years and from every source I have heard
depleted uranium is very toxic and yes radioactive. The gunners in
CH-53's have to wear special gloves when loading the rounds and while
firing, they are used in weapons like the GAU 2B mini gun and such.
Very unlikely you could buy any as it is a controlled material.

On Thu, 21 Apr 2005 09:55:32 -0500, Rex B wrote:
So, the quick way to obtain a quantity of DU would be to go to Bagdad
and point something at a chopper?

Quick, yes. Not sure I'd call it "best" or "practical", but it would
be effective.

Wish I could have found about 4000 pounds of the stuff when I was casting my
keel bulb. With that density down in the bulb I could have had a higher
righting moment and saved about 2000 pounds in total weight. Encased in
lead it would have been safe too. The spot price for DU was about
$8/pound when I was looking. Way to high for the quantity I needed and the
paperwork requirement was outrageous.

OTOH, Iridium would have been even better but at $2400/pound I will pass.
:-)

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

"Bruce W.1" wrote in message
...
I've read that depleted uranium is six times as dense as lead. It would
be nifty to have a chunk of it, that is if it's not radioactive.

The US military uses it for missile nosecones and whatnot, so it can't be
very dangerous.

Is this a controlled material? If not then does anyone know where I can
get a small piece?

Thanks for your help.

On Wed, 20 Apr 2005 01:27:17 GMT, "Bruce W.1"
wrote:

I've read that depleted uranium is six times as dense as lead. It would
be nifty to have a chunk of it, that is if it's not radioactive.

You should read this
http://www.theodoregray.com/PeriodicTable/

They can offer samples too, if you do paperwork
http://www.element-collection.com/RG...CT04_rev05.pdf

The US military uses it for missile nosecones and whatnot, so it can't
be very dangerous.

That's a somewhat contentious statement ! (Do you have newspapers
locally?)

As a pragmatic approach (I'm not interested in the DU toxicity argument
today), the metal is safe and the oxide is toxic. However burning the
metal produces the oxide as huge quantities of breathable fine dust and
mechanically abrading the surface may do so too. You can safely own this
stuff, but it should either be plated or sealed into a glass vial. You
don't want to be handling it.


Is this a controlled material?

You have Bush as President. Johnny Appleseed has just been sentenced as
a terrrorist for posession of apple pips containing cyanide.

If you want some funky heavy metal, then go to a welding shop and buy
some TIG electrodes. These are tungsten, and look and feel as close to
uranium as you could wish for. Get the ones that are plain titanium,
not those with thorium alloyed.

--
Cats have nine lives, which is why they rarely post to Usenet.

What is depleted uranium depleted of?
I've always thought that this stuff is the byproducet of the nuke bomb
industry where the valuable U-235 is removed from the not valuable U-238
which isn't radioactive.
I'll also note that granite is radioactive yet we build buildings with it
without concern.

--
Why isn't there an Ozone Hole at the NORTH Pole?

On Wed, 20 Apr 2005 14:41:36 -0700, Bob May wrote:
What is depleted uranium depleted of?
I've always thought that this stuff is the byproducet of the nuke bomb
industry where the valuable U-235 is removed from the not valuable U-238
which isn't radioactive.

U-238 is radioactive, it has a half-life of 4.5 billion years.

I'll also note that granite is radioactive yet we build buildings with it
without concern.

It's detectable, but that doesn't mean that it's a problem. A chunk of
granite is less interesting to a Geiger counter than a smoke detector is.

In article ,
Dave Hinz wrote:
On Wed, 20 Apr 2005 14:41:36 -0700, Bob May wrote:
What is depleted uranium depleted of?
I've always thought that this stuff is the byproducet of the nuke bomb
industry where the valuable U-235 is removed from the not valuable U-238
which isn't radioactive.

U-238 is radioactive, it has a half-life of 4.5 billion years.

I'll also note that granite is radioactive yet we build buildings with it
without concern.

It's detectable, but that doesn't mean that it's a problem. A chunk of
granite is less interesting to a Geiger counter than a smoke detector is.



Or flying at 30,000 ft, I believe.

--
a d y k e s @ p a n i x . c o m

Don't blame me. I voted for Gore.

"Dave Hinz" wrote in message
...
I'll also note that granite is radioactive yet we build buildings
with it without concern.

It's detectable, but that doesn't mean that it's a problem.

Actually, it is! As I recall, removed granite waste is a low-level
radiation "hazard".

Banannas will also kick off geiger counters, I guess they are too commonly
used by the public to be classed though.

Tim

--
"California is the breakfast state: fruits, nuts and flakes."
Website: http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms

On Thu, 21 Apr 2005 00:04:24 -0500, Tim Williams wrote:
"Dave Hinz" wrote in message
...
I'll also note that granite is radioactive yet we build buildings
with it without concern.

It's detectable, but that doesn't mean that it's a problem.

Actually, it is! As I recall, removed granite waste is a low-level
radiation "hazard".

Well...somewhere, in some secure storage facility, are dozens or hundreds
of white "bunny suits", gloves, masks, hats, and assorted clothing worn
by me, while working in the "hot lab". I was packaging _very_ low level
solid sources into test fixtures (for tuning medical nuclear imaging
scanners). Even the packing materials are in some "low level nuclear
waste" facility, even though the bags couldn't leave our hot lab if there
was _any_ detectable radiation level.

Banannas will also kick off geiger counters, I guess they are too commonly
used by the public to be classed though.

I have to try that tonight. The potassium, I suppose?

Dave "What, doesn't _everyone_ have a Geiger counter at home?" Hinz

On 21 Apr 2005 15:22:24 GMT, Dave Hinz wrote:

On Thu, 21 Apr 2005 00:04:24 -0500, Tim Williams wrote:
"Dave Hinz" wrote in message
...
I'll also note that granite is radioactive yet we build buildings
with it without concern.

It's detectable, but that doesn't mean that it's a problem.

Actually, it is! As I recall, removed granite waste is a low-level
radiation "hazard".

Well...somewhere, in some secure storage facility, are dozens or hundreds
of white "bunny suits", gloves, masks, hats, and assorted clothing worn
by me, while working in the "hot lab". I was packaging _very_ low level
solid sources into test fixtures (for tuning medical nuclear imaging
scanners). Even the packing materials are in some "low level nuclear
waste" facility, even though the bags couldn't leave our hot lab if there
was _any_ detectable radiation level.

Banannas will also kick off geiger counters, I guess they are too commonly
used by the public to be classed though.

I have to try that tonight. The potassium, I suppose?

Dave "What, doesn't _everyone_ have a Geiger counter at home?" Hinz

I have 4 . And various dosimeters. All work just hunkey dory.
I hope they never get used.

Gunner

Rule #35
"That which does not kill you,
has made a huge tactical error"

I have to try that tonight. The potassium, I suppose?

K40? shrug

Lange's Handbook of Chemistry 1967:
Abundance % .0119
1.3x10^9 years beta-1.33;K;gamma1.46

Report back, please.

Dave "What, doesn't _everyone_ have a Geiger counter at home?" Hinz

LOL!

Alvin in AZ

On Thu, 21 Apr 2005 00:04:24 -0500, "Tim Williams"
wrote:

Actually, it is! As I recall, removed granite waste is a low-level
radiation "hazard".

I don't believe that for a moment.

Granite has sod-all radioactivity. Get a lump, try counting it - not
easy, even with good tools. The risk from granite is because it's found
in large underground masses and the daughter product is a gas. This can
travel, so if you have a house with a suitable basement and no
ventilation then you can be concentrating the radon from a huge quantity
of rock. If you live in a stone-built house on pillars though, no
hazard at all.

On Fri, 22 Apr 2005 01:03:47 +0100, Andy Dingley wrote:
On Thu, 21 Apr 2005 00:04:24 -0500, "Tim Williams"
wrote:

Actually, it is! As I recall, removed granite waste is a low-level
radiation "hazard".

I don't believe that for a moment.

Granite has sod-all radioactivity. Get a lump, try counting it - not
easy, even with good tools.

Hm. That's interesting, because I played with the Geiger counter last
night (technically a "Scintillation Meter"), and found the following:

Radiation survey of everyday objects:

Background radiation, 4 sites inside house: 1.5 Counts per Second (CPS)
Background radiation, 4 sites outside house: 1.5 CPS
4 over-ripe bananas, sensor in contact with skin: 3 CPS
Clean diapers: 1.5 CPS (no detectable radiation; same as background)
Dirty diapers, measured at top of diaper pail: 2 CPS
6 month old kid: 1.5 CPS plus drool and two giggles
"First Alert" smoke detector, with Americium goodness: 50 CPS on surface
10 year old Trijicon (Tritium) gunsights on Glock 19: 1.5 CPS
Granite boulder, roughly 1 meter in diameter. Pink: 4 CPS
Black: 3 CPS
Blue/black boulder of unknown ignious type: 1.5 CPS
Garden soil: 1.5 CPS

Obviously this is only a slightly scientific survey, but shows some
interesting non-background results.

The risk from granite is because it's found
in large underground masses and the daughter product is a gas. This can
travel, so if you have a house with a suitable basement and no
ventilation then you can be concentrating the radon from a huge quantity
of rock. If you live in a stone-built house on pillars though, no
hazard at all.

Right. Measurable doesn't mean dangerous. Well, except in the case of
the diaper pail above (trust me on this one). For the record, the kid just
started on bananas. I should check his other foods, just out of curiousity.

Dave Hinz

I got a bunch of it out of and old RF-4c that used it for ballast when
they removed caeras. They are little blocks about 1/2" x 1" x 1 1/2"
in size,,,,,,,and heavy as hell. They are coated with some type of
coating. We used to have a container about the size of a 3 pound
coffee can setting on the table, filled with them. We used to say to
new guys, Hey, how about sliding that can of blocks over here..they
would about push their shoulder out of joint trying to just slide that
can across the table. Been told as long as the coating is on them and
you do not drill, machine or weld on them they are safe. I use em for
weights etc when I glue up odds and ends.....

==============================================
Put some color in your cheeks...garden naked!

"Bob May" wrote in message
...
What is depleted uranium depleted of?

U235

I've always thought that this stuff is the byproducet of the nuke bomb
industry where the valuable U-235 is removed from the not valuable U-238
which isn't radioactive.

Correct.

I'll also note that granite is radioactive yet we build buildings with it
without concern.

And the basements of houses built on granite fill up with Radon.
There's plenty of radioactive fallout from the 50s, the CO2 in the air is
has Carbon-14, water has tritium, potassium-40 occurs in natural potassium,
which is everywhere, including bannanas and people. Space is full of natural
fusion reactors, the earth has Van Allan belts, recently we got hit with a
massive cosmic ray burst, etc.

Bruce W.1 writes:

I've read that depleted uranium is six times as dense as lead. It would
be nifty to have a chunk of it, that is if it's not radioactive.

Gold and platinum are denser than either of those, plenty nifty, and more
practical to own.

I've read that depleted uranium is six times as
dense as lead.

Not true, although it is denser.

If not then does anyone know where I can get a small piece?

Get in a war with the US or NATO and the military will deliver it, no
charge even!

Tim.

Depleted uranium is radioactive and anyone uncovering a shell made from it
gets radioactive poisoning, bad stuff...

"Tim Shoppa" wrote in message
ups.com...
I've read that depleted uranium is six times as
dense as lead.

Not true, although it is denser.

If not then does anyone know where I can get a small piece?

Get in a war with the US or NATO and the military will deliver it, no
charge even!

Tim.

"Digby Millikan" wrote in message
...
Depleted uranium is radioactive and anyone uncovering a shell made from it
gets radioactive poisoning, bad stuff...

False nonsense.

Vaughn

In rec.crafts.metalworking Digby Millikan wrote:
Depleted uranium is radioactive and anyone uncovering a shell made from it
gets radioactive poisoning, bad stuff...

Depleted uranium is a mild alpha emitter. Your skin will stop the alpha
particles. Breathing in particles of DU is a different matter, but just
picking one up is not likely to cause a problem.

Depleted uranium is used as counterweights in the control system of many
aircraft. It is usually re-cycled when aircraft are junked. I also saw a
pair of DU penatraters from some tank rounds at an Army Surplus store, but
they wanted a young fortune for them. Far more than the metal content was
worth.

What in the world do you want to do with it any way? Its difficult to
machine, very hard, also its pyrophoric. Meaning the hot metal shavings have
a tendence to burn when exposed to the O2 in the air. Breathing the fumes
from this can be deadly, as others have mentioned DU gives off alpha
radiation, which is relatively safe, until it gets inside your lungs.