How is AM 241 made?
Americium-241 is produced in nuclear power plants during activation of 239Pu and 240Pu by neutrons, which is followed by beta decay of 241Pu (T1/2 = 14.35 years). This means that also in burned-up fuel 241Am is produced by decay of 241Pu a long time after the fuel is removed from a nuclear reactor.
What particles are emitted from 241am?
The radiation from the decay of americium-241 and its daughters is in the form of alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma rays.
Where does AM 241 come from?
Today, americium-241 is produced artificially from the decay of 241Pu. Americium-241 is a by-product of nuclear weapons detonations (decay of 241Pu) and is found in the environment due to the fallout of 241Pu from nuclear weapons testing.
Where does plutonium 239 come from?
Both plutonium-239 and uranium-235 are obtained from Natural uranium, which primarily consists of uranium-238 but contains traces of other isotopes of uranium such as uranium-235.
What type of radiation is produced by americium-241?
Am-241 is primarily an alpha emitter, but also emits some gamma rays. It poses a more significant risk if ingested (swallowed) or inhaled.
What kind of radiation does americium-241 emit?
alpha emitter
Am-241 is primarily an alpha emitter, but also emits some gamma rays. It poses a more significant risk if ingested (swallowed) or inhaled.
Is americium a metal or nonmetal?
Americium is a silvery, shiny radioactive metal.
Why is AM 241 used in smoke alarms?
Ionization smoke detectors use americium as a source of alpha particles. Alpha particles from the americium source ionize air molecules. This makes some particles positively charged and some negatively charged. Because of this shielding, the smoke detector poses no radiation health risk when they are properly handled.
How is plutonium 238 made?
Pure plutonium-238 is prepared by neutron irradiation of neptunium-237, one of the minor actinides that can be recovered from spent nuclear fuel during reprocessing, or by the neutron irradiation of americium in a reactor.
What type of metal is plutonium?
actinide metal
Plutonium is a radioactive chemical element with the symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is an actinide metal of silvery-gray appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, and forms a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibits six allotropes and four oxidation states.
What can 241Am be used for in a nuclear reactor?
The obtained 241Am can be used for generating heavier americium isotopes by further neutron capture inside a nuclear reactor. In a light water reactor (LWR), 79% of 241Am converts to 242Am and 10% to its nuclear isomer 242mAm:
Where does americium 241 come from in a reactor?
Americium-241 is not synthesized directly from uranium – the most common reactor material – but from the plutonium isotope 239Pu. The latter needs to be produced first, according to the following nuclear process:
Is the americium 241 used in smoke detectors undetectable?
In fact, the alpha particles emitted by the Americium 241 in smoke detectors have a short range. They are so weak that they can be stopped by a single sheet of paper. As a result, the level of radioactivity present in Americium 241 smoke detectors is virtually undetectable.
What kind of neutrons can be produced from 241 Am?
Oxides of 241 Am pressed with beryllium can be very efficient neutron sources, since they emit alpha particles during radioactive decay : Here americium acts as the alpha source, and beryllium produces neutrons owing to its large cross-section for the (α,n) nuclear reaction: