Hi,
Toxicity is not the problem. Radioactivity was my biggest concern, when
I ordered my first Rb-clock.The manufacturer told me, there's no
radioactivity, that you have to fear. When the package came I used a
Geiger tube to calm myself down - there was no measurable activity at all.
If the clock doesn't work anymore, be careful when opening it, the bulb
could be broken (though impropable). I don't know how the Rubidium will
react in such a case, but it can react with the air and start to burn
(but remember, it's a very small amount) and you could get some mg of a
strong base, which is corrosive/caustic.
To come to the point: You won't be able to "wreak havoc" with a Rb-lamp...
Volker
Am 09.07.2013 11:40, schrieb Attila Kinali:
On Tue, 09 Jul 2013 11:24:27 +0200
Magnus Danielson<mag...@rubidium.dyndns.org> wrote:
On 07/09/2013 06:07 AM, Hui Zhang wrote:
Dear Group:
I have four compact Rb Stanard, but I am worried about what if my Rb lamp
broken in accident someday? How dangerous of this situration? Is Rb87 came out
from Rb lamp will be a disaster? You know I haven't any beta rays detect
instrument.
Considering that you have 48,8 milliard years in half-time, you are
pretty safe. The problem is rather that it reacts to water and becomes a
strong base, so you want to keep it dry and well protected. Keeping it
in a clock chassi is good enough.
IIRC Rb is hygroscopic, ie keeping dry wont help, it will react with
the air humidity as well. But then, you have only a couple mg of Rb
in the cell. And the whole thing is enclosed. So you wont get much
exposure anyways. As for toxidity, AFAIK Rb by itself is not toxic.
Rb solution is, as Magnus said, a strong base, but you will get very little
of it and and i am not aware of any toxidity beside being a stron base.
So don't let it get into your eyes and you will be fine :-)
For comparison: Natrium hydroxide is sold in tablet form as un-clogging agent.
It is, for it being a strong base, rated with a high toxidity/danger class,
(about the same as hydrochloric acid) but is not toxic in it self.
Handling it is safe, unless you throw a lot of it into water.
In dry form, the most danger it poses is making soap out of the fat
in your skin :-)
Attila Kinali
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