I'll add in the old links later.
I'll add in the old links later.
Rant: I wasn' given a 24 hour notice until half that time had passed.
Now you took away my only joy in starting this thread!!
If you want to be my mortal enemies, I'll put you on the list.Takhisis is known for taking away good things.
I bought 10 g of iridium metal powder from China for my neutron activation experiments.
I bought 10 g of iridium metal powder from China for my neutron activation experiments. It was comparatively cheap (still expensive, but a good deal compared to e.g. gold: $170 for 10 g of the world's rarest metal, and I'll get to sell it back on ebay). But when it came, it made my Geiger counter go off pretty furiously without any activation at all. Looks like some there's some uranium or thorium contamination. And I couldn't even clean it up with aqua regia, although the fact that it didn't dissolve in aqua regia confirms that it is indeed iridium.
Despite the amazing cross-sections of both of its isotopes, it looks like I'll just have to sell it on ebay - I can't use it with this high of a background count, because my neutron source is very weak and statistical tests have to be done to make sure anything happened at all. Stupid cheapish Chinese iridium and its radioactive impurities.
How do you know that your sample hasn't already been exposed to a neutron source? It could already have significant active isotopes. That would explain why it won't clean up chemically.
What sort of experiments? Are you doing this for fun or for some sort of a project sanctioned by somebody else?
How do you know that your sample hasn't already been exposed to a neutron source? It could already have significant active isotopes. That would explain why it won't clean up chemically.
You won't clean up chemically.
Also: It seems like buying something so sensitive is better done locally or at least domestically instead of purchasing it from China. Sure, it's cheaper, but they're not exactly known for their stellar product quality. I feel this becomes especially true when it's a material that has to be just right lest it be worthless to what you need it for.