Isotope generator lead?

[375RUGER]

Fella gave me a couple rings of what he called generator lead. I assume he meant isotope generator, since he had several hundred pounds of iso cores and these rings.
I didn't take a pic. The rings were about 9" diameter x 3/4", 3/4" thick. They nest together.
I need to check it again but it was either 8 or 11 BHN.
I only got 20#. I may just cast them as is into some HPs, but if I could find out what the compostion is I might just use it to alloy something more specific.
I know the cores seem to come in at least 3 different alloys.
Anybody know what the composition of this might be?

[I'll Make Mine]

I don't know for certain, but depending on what isotope was inside, you might need to be concerned whether the lead you received is radioactive (the isotope cores can be dangerously so). No, lead doesn't have any significantly radioactive isotopes, but several of its common alloying elements can be "activated" by neutron emission (fission, even the low level in a thermal isotope generator, can make materials that absorb the neutrons radioactive). Worse, beta particles (helium nuclei) emitted by non-fission decays can change lead into another element (albeit very, very tiny quantities), likely a radioactive isotope of whatever you get (a single beta absorption by lead would give polonium, which has no stable isotopes and is far more toxic than anything most of us ever handle).

I'd give 'em back and tell the "fella" to dispose of them correctly, as nuclear waste.

[John Boy]

I need to check it again but it was either 8 or 11 BHN.
Anybody know what the composition of this might be?
http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=86491
If Sam doesn't have the composition in the thread - send him a PM

[sqlbullet]

375Ruger, I have two of these in my garage right now from my last run to pick up lead. They are, I believe, from an older style tech-99m generator. They are perfectly safe and will make fine boolits. I plan to treat mine like COWW mixed 50/50 with pure lead. I will probably add about 1% tin to mine (3 oz per 20 lbs).


I don't know for certain, but depending on what isotope was inside, you might need to be concerned whether the lead you received is radioactive (the isotope cores can be dangerously so). No, lead doesn't have any significantly radioactive isotopes, but several of its common alloying elements can be "activated" by neutron emission (fission, even the low level in a thermal isotope generator, can make materials that absorb the neutrons radioactive). Worse, beta particles (helium nuclei) emitted by non-fission decays can change lead into another element (albeit very, very tiny quantities), likely a radioactive isotope of whatever you get (a single beta absorption by lead would give polonium, which has no stable isotopes and is far more toxic than anything most of us ever handle).

I'd give 'em back and tell the "fella" to dispose of them correctly, as nuclear waste.

You must be new around here. Many of us have cast thousands and thousands of boolits from isotope lead. The lead comes from the medical industry. It was predominantly used to shield Moly-99 that is the parent isotope of Technitium-99m. These come in the form of 31.5 lb cores of lead that has been tested to be 96% lead, 3% anitmony and 1% tin. In addition, I see a large quantity of xenon 133 containers and a couple hundred lbs a year of pure lead used to shield iodine-131. From time to time a facility will have other scrap such as sheet lead or lead bricks that was used to shield workstations or to cover spills. Once these get dinged up enough they will sell them for scrap.

We are not using RTG cores which housed Plutonium, Strontium, Polonium or any other heavy hitters from the nuclear family.

The correct process for radiological facilities to use to dispose of these isotope generators is to decay them until they test below the background radiation level on two separate meters, each calibrated on a defined schedule. Once they test "cold" by this method, they are safe for normal disposal, usually to a scrap yard. And, usually if you forge a relationship they will be happy to have you take them for scrap yard rates. This saves them the labor of loading and transporting to the scrap yard.

I process about 10,000 to 15,000 lbs a year of this kind of lead. Most of it I sell in ingot form to a local commercial bullet caster. I also shoot a couple hundred pounds a year.

[Defcon-One]

....We are not using RTG cores which housed Plutonium, Strontium, Polonium or any other heavy hitters from the nuclear family.

The correct process for radiological facilities to use to dispose of these isotope generators is to decay them until they test below the background radiation level on two separate meters, each calibrated on a defined schedule. Once they test "cold" by this method, they are safe for normal disposal, usually to a scrap yard. And, usually if you forge a relationship they will be happy to have you take them for scrap yard rates. This saves them the labor of loading and transporting to the scrap yard.

I process about 10,000 to 15,000 lbs a year of this kind of lead. Most of it I sell in ingot form to a local commercial bullet caster. I also shoot a couple hundred pounds a year.

Darn it! I just tossed all of my Isotope Cores so that I wouldn't get nuked. I wish you'd have posted this yesterday!

OK, just kidding! I still have them. I really doubt that there is any HOT lead floating around out there!

Let's all hope that sqlbullet and I are right!

[I'll Make Mine]

We are not using RTG cores which housed Plutonium, Strontium, Polonium or any other heavy hitters from the nuclear family.

This was the distinction I didn't get -- medical isotopes aren't generally alpha emitters (at least not the ones used for tagging and metabolic tracing), and the ones that do emit some alpha have long half-lives (= relatively low emission rate). And I probably look like an idiot for typing "beta" in my previous post when I meant "alpha" -- beta emission isn't much of a hazard unless the flux is huge, and beta (especially positron) emitters are used for metabolic tracing and positron emission tomography.

Given the material being shielded, and the decay and testing process you describe, please carry on (and I might contact you about getting some scrap lead once I'm fully set up).

[Defcon-One]

No, you don't look like an idiot to me! And I was not making fun of you. In fact, you sound like you know a heck of a lot more about radiation and the risks than I do. Actually, I was just joking around.

When I started using Isotope Lead, I was concerned too. It is common sense to be worried when radiation is involved, but I researched it and asked people that I trusted until I was satisfied that the lead from medical isotope containers was safe to use.

What you did was to warn us about a possible risk to our health, that is a good instinct and a good thing to do. I am sure that it is appreciated here! Now, you have figured out that the risk is minimal and probably close to nonexistent.

By the way, medical isotope container lead is some of the best and cleanest lead that I have ever used for casting bullets. It is of known and repeatable content and easy to mix into the exact alloy that you want. It has good Tin and Antimony content. The large core lead is identical to COWW lead with about 1% Tin!

Try it, You'll like it! And Welcome Aboard!

[375RUGER]

This is medical stuff that this guy had. Too bad he already made a deal with the scrap yard or I might have ended up with a lot more than 20#, A day late as usual.

[375RUGER]

1 Sn, 3 Sb, 96 Pb

just for future reference.

I know what I'm going to do with it now.