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Specialty Chemistry Forums => Nuclear Chemistry and Radiochemistry Forum => Topic started by: bartek on August 06, 2009, 02:44:44 PM

Title: Am-241 in smoke detector
Post by: bartek on August 06, 2009, 02:44:44 PM
Does every smoke detector containing ionisation chamber inside, have the Americium compound or are there other isotopes in use? Which specific compound is that? I heard it might be pure Americium or AmO2, but it is not provided anywhere. Could you help?
Title: Re: Am-241 in smoke detector
Post by: vmelkon on August 15, 2009, 10:57:22 AM
From what I have seen, it looks like a metal. Of course, the quantity is so small, perhaps it is an alloy with steel. Pure? Impossible.
Yes, they all have Am-241
Title: Re: Am-241 in smoke detector
Post by: Am-241 on June 17, 2010, 03:11:55 PM
the Am-241 is somewhere between 75-95% pure, very pure considering where it comes from. It is a thin coating on a (sometimes) gold alloy so that it does not corrode. Some much older industrial smoke detectors actually have a thin coating of Ra-226 (Radium 226), but because Am-241 produces 3x the alpha radiation as Ra-226 without the high dosage of Gamma radiation and the fact that Am is less costly to make, Ra was eventually put out of use. smoke detectors usually have a marking that they contain Am-241 in EXTREAMLY SMALL type.

-Am-241
Title: Re: Am-241 in smoke detector
Post by: osward on August 04, 2010, 08:57:05 AM
Quote from: bartek on August 06, 2009, 02:44:44 PM
Does every smoke detector containing ionisation chamber inside, have the Americium compound or are there other isotopes in use? Which specific compound is that? I heard it might be pure Americium or AmO2, but it is not provided anywhere. Could you help?

Not all type Smoke Detector in Ion type, But the ion type are the most cheaper in market and also very sensitive in smoke that why alot people prefer ion type. This ion type using Am241 by using Alpha radiation to detect a smoke.
Title: Re: Am-241 in smoke detector
Post by: ShayneThill on September 13, 2013, 06:15:32 AM
I heard from the detectorall that the smoke detector includes the CO detector and carbon dioxide detector.
Title: Re: Am-241 in smoke detector
Post by: ShayneThill on September 15, 2013, 10:04:25 PM
Quote from: ShayneThill on September 13, 2013, 06:15:32 AM
I heard from the detectorall (http://www.detectorall.com/) that the smoke detector includes the CO detector and carbon dioxide detector.
Anyone know more about it?
Title: Re: Am-241 in smoke detector
Post by: vmelkon on October 27, 2013, 07:31:45 PM
Who is detectorall?
Smoke detectors don't include CO and CO2 detectors.
There are CO detectors and there are various kinds. Look at wikipedia.
I haven't heard about CO2 detectors. I didn't know any existed.