Irradiator Experiment Design Tips
- Irradiation of explosive materials, or food destined for human consumption is not allowed.
- No more than small quantities of flammable materials with a flash point below 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit) can be irradiated.
- Irradiations of hazardous materials, materials that will evolve toxic gases, and other unusual samples as the staff sees fit will be subject to additional safety reviews.
- Experiment fixtures should minimize the use of PVC or PTFE to prevent to the generation of hazardous gases.
- Experiment fixtures should use radiation resistant materials like aluminum, glass, and polyethylene. Try to avoid materials that are subject to severe radiation degradation like polypropylene.
- Try to utilize low density materials in experiment fixtures to minimize radiation shadowing.
- 120 VAC power is available for experiments in the vault.
- Cables or tubing can be run to instruments in the vault but must be able to be bent in a tight (approximately 1”) radius.
- Cabling should be at least approximately 40’ long to reach into the vault.
- Radiation doses are based on dose maps of an empty vault. For the most accurate results dosimeters should be affixed to the experiment to monitor the dose it receives. This service is available for an additional cost.
- A variety of fixtures are available to help support experiments.
- Samples will not be made radioactive by gamma ray irradiation and can freely be returned to the experimenter.
- Sealed neutron sources can be placed in the irradiator vault to provide a combined neutron/gamma environment that is high in gamma rays and low in neutrons.