This instructible shows how to obtain and extract Americium,have fun :)
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Signing UpStep 1: How to Obtain and Extract Americium
Inside inexpensive smoke alarms is a tiny amount of the radioactive element Americium. The isotope used, americium 241, has a half life of 452 years. Since americium 241 decays into the much more stable isotope neptunium 237 (half-life 2.1 million years), the sample in the smoke detector will have a few trillion new neptunium atoms in it every year.
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Here is the link to the EPA warning on Americium http://www.epa.gov/rpdweb00/radionuclides/americium.html
Once in the body, americium-241 tends to concentrate in the bone, liver, and muscle.
Americium-241 poses a significant risk if ingested (swallowed) or inhaled. It can stay in the body for decades and continue to expose the surrounding tissues to both alpha and gamma radiation, increasing the risk of developing cancer. Americium-241 also poses a cancer risk to all organs of the body from direct external exposure to its gamma radiation.
Exposure to any significant amount of Am-241 is unlikely under normal circumstances. ("Normal circumstances" do not include trying to access or remove the Am-241 source in a smoke detector!)
LOL
'Well-Said !'
Note:this is just a serious idea that just came into my mind.
First ,you should have the main element 196
80Hg which consists of 0.15% of the naturally occurring mercury. It is better because 196
80Hg is much easier to do it.Then use 241
95Am and an aluminium foil to make a neutron source.Aim neutrons to the target nucleus 196
80Hg and it will get converted into 197
80Hg which is a radioactive element and has a half life of 2 days,16 hours,8 minutes and 24 seconds.You will be surprised to hear this.The decay product of 197
80Hg is 197
79Au.this is an idea which i want to truly experiment with but I am not sure
that it will be correct because sometimes will 197
80Hg will break like fission of
uranium-235 and I am only 13 years old to do this.
http://www.scitoys.com/echem/elements/elements.html
this is plagriarism and not allowed on this site
Firstly, while alpha particles do not travel far in air, and many can be stopped by skin, they do penetrate to a degree. 22 micron thick paper with stop most of the alphas emitted from this particular radionuclide. The higher the energy thought, the further they go.
Secondly, and most importantly, the Am-241 decays with low energy gamma photons, but do not be deceived, what they lack in energy, they make up for in abundance leading to a very intense gamma radiation release per decay.
Hopefully, someone has the good sense to know that detection methods are varied, and each has an efficiency for a given type of radiative energy, be it corpuscular or photon. For Am-241, a Geiger counter for example is a TERRIBLE choice. The alpha needs to be measured independently of the gamma by alpha spectrometry. The gamma needs to be measured by either LSC (preferred), or gamma spectrometry (a suitable substitute).
1.0 microcurie may not seem like a big deal, but the radiation you aren't detecting is.
-Meitner
Further down in the posts here, you can make a random number generator. This is the same substance in all State Lottery machines in the United States for random number generation. So think of it this way, Every time you buy a quick pick lottery ticket, you are using Americium-241!
:-)
You can use it, in large quantities, to make a neutron source with a sheet of aluminium. The alpha radiation collides the the Al atoms and kicks off neutrons which you can collimate using a lead box with a hole drilled through it. However, you need 1000+ smoke detectors to get that much. And really there's no reason you should be making neutron sources in your home, but making a neutron diffractometer could be quite interesting though.
It's worth pointing out that you should wash your hands after handling the metal and make sure that you should keep it out of the way of children or anyone who might accidentally swallow it. I doubt the activity of the average smoke detector is particularly high, but ingesting an alpha source can be extremely dangerous if it gets lodged inside you.
Stay safe, kids and don't underestimate the danger of radioactive sources.
The Radioactive Boyscout
Removing the AM241 pellet from a smoke detector is illegal.
There is only one way a person living in the USA can legally be in posession of AM241 and that isas a part of an intact and unmodified ionising smoke detector.
Removing the pellet is not permitted. The NRC and Homeland Security tend to take a dim view of those who do so. Other than that contained inside an intact smoke detector there is NO exempt quantity of AM241. Posession of even one pellet could cost you a lot of pain and anguish not least of which are the legal costs.
The AM241 quantity on a pellet is minute usually around .09 uCi the emissions are primarily alphas but as has been noted there is a gamma photon at around 57kev (as I recall) this is very low and undetectable by most GM tubes at least in the short time most would be prepared to spend holding a geiger counter near one.
And just so you know the NSA, Homeland Security et al, monitor these sites looking for idiots who do this kind of thing, why?, because it is easier and safer to screw someone who has a 'different' but harmless hobby interest in radiation etc. than it is to hunt real terrorists. But believe me they will treat you as if you were/are a terrorist.