Where can we find Radium chloride or Radium source ?

[jadaro2600]

It requires a license. In order to get the license you have to put up a bond or show financial means to properly dispose of it. A local college might let you perform an experiment but I doubt it.

A local college my let you do your experiment, while they record the results..report you to the authorities as having acted strange, while turning around and patenting anything you may have discovered.

[amigo]

Radium is a controlled substance and you will not get it anywhere in North America as a private individual, especially not after the 9/11 event, and even before it never the less.

Unless you are "lucky" to live in some other (normal) country not engulfed with paranoia or the "terror" threat levels, then you might be able to source minute quantities even through normal channels.

Americium in the smoke detector is an Alpha source and I somehow doubt that's what he needs, thus the need for Radium.

Just my 2c.

[jadaro2600]

What use is there for radium - personally at that?

[hansvonlieven]

@ Tito L. Oracion,

I don't know if they are still using it these days but the best source of radium in the old days was from a radiologist or someone working in the radiology department of a hospital. Radiologists used radium needles in the treatment of some cancers as well as radioactive salts. I am not certain if they still do.

It'll have to be done on the quiet of course but there is always a way.

Americium is a poor substitute, for a start there is only 0.2 micrograms in your average smoke detector and at that level you only get alpha radiation, so weak it can't penetrate glass or even a sheet of paper. You need gram quantities to get gamma rays. Critical mass is, from memory, 60 kg. That is why they don't use it for bombs.

Hope this helps

Hans von Lieven

[AbbaRue]

You can buy Thorated Tungsten welding rods at a local welding supply shop.
They contain Thorium 232 which decays to Radium 228.
Check it out at the following link.

http://www.matpack.de/Info/Nuclear/Nuclids/T/Th232.html

Quote from link:
{{
# Half life: 1.405E10 Y ( 0.4270 % )
# Mode of decay: Alpha to Ra-228
* Decay energy: 4.083 MeV
}}


You may find the following diagram of interest.