Tubes Asylum Questions about tubes and gear that glows. FAQ |
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In Reply to: Can tubes be radioactive? posted by woffeldjur on October 28, 2014 at 04:23:05:
Tubes can be radioactive, but probably not in the way you are thinking about it.
Voltage regulator tubes typically were purposely made with a tiny amount of radioactive material inside. The idea was to provide an ionization source to help trigger the things to conduct.
Some materials used in tubes contain some naturally radioactive isotopes. Thorium, for example.
Exposing material to radioactive bombardment doesn't usually result in that material becoming radioactive itself. Usually the matreial has to be contaminated with some of the radioactive compounds.
As far as recent production tubes possibly using contaminated recycled material ... Well, who knows? Get your Geiger counter out and see. However, you might have to break the envelope to find out - The glass will block virtually all radioactive emisisons from the electrodes inside.
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Follow Ups
- RE: Can tubes be radioactive? - SteveSchecter 04:52:18 10/28/14 (6)
- another source - unclestu 14:48:48 10/29/14 (0)
- RE: Can tubes be radioactive? - lokie 13:42:17 10/29/14 (2)
- RE: Can tubes be radioactive? - SteveSchecter 04:53:33 10/30/14 (1)
- RE: Can tubes be radioactive? - lokie 05:55:51 10/30/14 (0)
- RE: Can tubes be radioactive? - Eli Duttman 06:04:03 10/28/14 (1)
- RE: Can tubes be radioactive? - Lee of Omaha 07:51:01 10/29/14 (0)