Radioactive Sources and Specimens

Here are all of my radioactive sources and specimens I have collected so far.
(In alphabetical order) Updated 09/03/2023

Americium 241
Most commonly found in ionization smoke detectors. enter image description here

Autunite (on matrix)
This is very very spicy. Probably the hottest U-238 specimen I have. Autunite is a form of Uranium ore and can contain up to 40% (in weight) of actual Uranium 238. Autunite fluoresces amazingly bright green when UV light is used. Sadly this did get damaged and broke into three pieces. enter image description here

Caesium 137
The Caesium is coated very lightly on the the electrodes of the spark gap made by Raytheon. Due to it's 30 year half life it is probably only 1/4 of it's original spiceyness. enter image description here

Depleated Uranium
This small sample was a check source on the side of a CDV-600 Model 6A Geiger counter. It measures approx. 5mm x 3mm and less than 1/2 mm thick. It is quite fragile as you can see from the bits that broken away inside the bag. enter image description here

Potassium Chloride (salt)
A 90g bag of Potassium Chloride salt purchased from Amazon, or eBay. It is surprisingly radioactive, not much, but I expected much less for a salt such as this. enter image description here

Radioactive dirt/dust
This dirt came from a field in Germany near Uranium mines. The following text was supplied on a piece of paper with the sample:

10g dried and screened natural soil from a lawn between the villages Gauern and Wolfersdorf in the uranium mining area Ronneburg.
In the Ronneburgarea the uranium ore is distributed in the sediments near the surface in 3 .. 6 m depth. There are two hotspots on the lawn which are the remainders of prospecting bore holes.
For testing β abd γ radiation leave the soil in the bag and put the bag flat on the table. Carefully shake the bag to spread the soil and place the Geiger counter with the counter tube close to it. A Russian SBM-20 counter tube should show more than 500 pulses per minute.
For testing α radiation the soil hast to be removed from the bag. Wear rubber gloves in this case!

enter image description here

Radioactive liquid - Unknown
An eBay purchase. The seller said it was his late Grandfather's and he didn't know what it was, although I suspect this may be someone's attempt at making radium paint. It smells like a paint base, such as cellulose or similar. It is reasonably spicy. It seems to fluoresce white/blue, but this could be the glass as I have not decanted any into another container. It melts some plastic such as ABS. The liquid may even be acetone. One for more research. enter image description here

Radioactive rocks - Uranium ore
These three rocks are (most likely) from South Terras Uranium Mine, Cornwall, England. They measure from about 0.32 uSv/h to 0.79 uSv/h enter image description here

Radium Paint - Watch hands
Another eBay purchase. If I remember correctly these came from Ukraine. They fluoresce nicely under UV light. enter image description here

Strontium 90 (check source)
This is a check source from a DP-5B Russian Geiger counter. It is quite hot. Not something I would want to carry over my shoulder! enter image description here

Thoriated Cotton
This was one I collected a while back. Again from eBay. The seller explained to me that this is from a disused mine, somewhere, I forget. It is like cotton wool, but full of little rock like fragments. I read that early on in mines the miners would all put their spent gas lamp mantles in a jar and when full it would be taken to the surface and emptied. Could this be some of that? enter image description here

Thoriated gas lamp mantle.
This came from India (via eBay) as the thoriated versions are hard to come by in the UK. It looks tame, but is really quite spicy. Not something to leave in your pocket! enter image description here

Thoriated Tungsten welding rod
For use with a TiG welder. It contains about 4% Thorium. It snapped as I was trying to coil it up. enter image description here

Thorium dioxide in 'solution'
Another eBay purchase. A strange one with this as the seller listed it as "Geiger counter check source - Thorium dioxide in 'solution'". When I received it I asked the seller numerous times what the 'solution' was, and he never replied, at all. One to be very weary of. It isn't very spicy, but a nice addition to my collection. enter image description here

Thorium reconstituted stone pendant
Available at the time of writing from Amazon and AliExpress - See forum post here. This isn't very active, but regardless should not be worn as it's intended purpose. Alpha and Beta emitter roughly around 6x background. enter image description here

Trinitite
eBay purchase from France. This came in a display box along with a sun faded dubious looking certificate. It could be fake, but it is ever so slightly radioactive. About 2-3 CPM above background. Its not enough to get a gamma spectrum using my Radiacode 101, sadly. enter image description here

Tritium (gas)
A small Tritium glow in the dark vile. These are used for fishing (commonly known as betalights) and also military signs (defile markers.) They have a half-life of about 25 years (if I remember correctly.) It glows a little in the dark and can easily be seen in pitch black. It doesn't emit enough light to use as a light source. I glows like crazy under UV light. enter image description here

Uraninite (Pitchblende) with Gummite (Uranium ore)
A nice sample of Uraninite with Gummite. It is quite spicy and the Gummite really fluoresces under UV light. One of my favourite pieces. enter image description here

Uranium Glass
Speaks for itself - glass with uranium for it's colour. It fluoresces nicely under UV light, but isn't so active. enter image description here

Uranium glazed pottery (Fiesta ware)
The orange glaze is produced with Uranium. Purchased from eBay. It's not massively active, but not something I would eat my dinner from, daily. enter image description here

Uranium Trioxide
This is a sample of Uranium Trioxide, which is a chemical made from the refinement of Uranium into yellowcake. This is at some stage before producing yellowcake. enter image description here

Uranyl zinc acetate
This is also a chemical made from the refinement of Uranium into yellowcake. This is at some stage before producing yellowcake. It fluoresces slightly and green speckles can be seen under UV light. enter image description here

Vaseline Glass (Uranium glass)
This is an opaque Uranium glass that has a kind of pearl look to it. It fluoresces nicely under UV light. Another eBay purchase. enter image description here

Yellowcake
Yes, actual yellowcake (*but read to the end.) This was (loosely) refined by someone in their DIY laboratory at home. The other two vials above came from the same person and were a part of a demonstration of the refinement of uranium ore to yellowcake. Yellowcake is used in making Uranium fuel rods. One of my favourite specimens. *Please note - this is not pure and could not be used for any specific purpose. It is a novelty specimen. enter image description here