The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-06-04
RAD|UM INFORMATION;
WHERE IT IS FOUND
WIDELY DISTRIBUTED MINERAL
-vALUABLE FACTS FOR
PROJECTORS.
(Charles T. KEENAN, in Mining and
Scientific PreSS)

(Charles r. KEENAN, in Mining an,
Scientific Press)
A great deal Of interest is now be
ing taken by the public in the source
and physical properties of radium
and general lack of information Seems
to prevail regarding the Fundamental,
involved. Therefore the following
brief statement of source of the mor'
salient facts may be of interest.
Radium is chemical element
Uranium Is a chemical element.
Radium is Transformation produc
from uranium.
Radium is not found free" in ma
ture, but Is obtained only as trans
formation product from uranium. Ra-
dio-activity is the property a sub
stance has of emitting a certain kind
of invisible ray The radioactive ele-
polonium and actinium. Radium was
discovered, not by direct observation
but through it's effects.
Rays Of Radium.
The rays of radium are divided into
three classes, according to the physi-
cal properties exhibited by each and
are designated by three Greek letters,
alpha, beta, and gamma.
The alpha rays have little penetra-
ton and are stopped or absorbed, by
an ordinary thick sheet of paper They
have very little Photographic effect.
They are electrically positively charg-
ed particles. These are the strongest
ionizers, that is, when allowed to pass
through non-conducting gas they
this effect is called ionization, Ninety
per cent of all the rays are alpha rays.
The beta rays have more penetra
ton than alpha rays, but are absorbed
by thick sheet of copper or tnfoil,
or five millimetres thickness of alum
mum They have the greatest photo
graphic effect, but less power of Joni
cation than alpha rays. Nine per cent
negatively charged particles. These
rays are found to stimulate the
growth Of cancer.
The gamma rays have the greatest
power of penetration, and will pass
through 30 centimetres of iron, or a
half-inch steel bar without apparent
diminution in intensity. These rays
travel through space at the rate Of
about $4,000 miles per second. They
have little Photographic action, and
little power of ionization. They do
not appear to be charged with cleo
tricity. These are the rays used in the
cure Of cancer BY wrapping metal
foil around the tube of radium salts,
the alpha and beta rays are excluded
from passage, while it is no obstruc-
ton to the gamma rays. Only I per
cent Of the rays are gamma rays, but
these are the most wonderful of ALL
OF all the radioactive elements, radi
UNI has the strongest rays, and the
element is about 100000 times more
active than uranium.
Radium exhibits the wonderful
power of continuous emission of en-
ergy In the form of heat without any
diminution of it's substance, and from
no source except itself. 1t is found
that one-half grain of radium bro
calories per hour Radium is usually
placed upon the market in the form
of radium bromide, or radium chlor- (;
ide-the latter containing 76 per cent
radium and the former less than 50
per cent.
The ratio Of radium to uranium
present in any unaltered mineral, as
is constant, and stated by
Rutherford and Boltwood to be
G. 0000038 GIN. of radium to / GIN OF
uranium; or. in other words, one ton
Of 60 per cent uranium ore will con-
tain two-tenths of a gram of radum !
An exception to this rule has very re-
Gently been noted in favor Of certain |
ores. 1t takes about 215 tons
of per cent uranium ore to produce
GIN. of radium, if 100 per cent is
saved.
More than 40 different uranium
minerals have been discovered of .
which pitchblende, carnotite, alunite,
and torbernite have been of CONNER
cial mportance-pitchble and car
hottie having thus far produced prac
tically all of the radium supply. Pitch
blende is the richest ore of uranium,
frequently carrying between so and so
per cent uranium. Uraninite is a cry
stalline variety of ptchblende.
Pitchblende in commercial quanti-
ties has quite invariably been found
In fissure veins in the old igneous
rocks such as granite, gneiss, schists,
ETC., and always associated with gold,
silver, copper, lead, zinc, or tin ores.
It is considered essentially the black
oxide of uranium but always contains !
many impurities, usually massive and
The color of pitchblende
Is pitch black to brownish. sometimes
with grayish or greenish cast. The