ON THE TERRESTRIAL OCCURRENCE OF ELEMENT 43: TECHNETIUM
Since Mo/sup 99/ was isolated from pitchblende and the mass99 chain fission yield determined to be 6.3 plus or minus 0.6%, it was expected that naturally occurring fissiogenic Tc/sup 99/ would also be present. The method by which naturally occurring Tc was sought and found is given. The absorption halfthicknesses of the samples (average value, 7.22 plus or minus 0.25 mg Al/cm/ sup 2/), obtained through absorption studies, were in agreement with the accepted half-thickness value for Tc/sup 99/g (7.2 mg Al/cm/sup 2/). An attempt to weigh the Tc yielded negative results, which excluded the presence of weighable quantities of primordial long-lived Tc. The amount of Tc/sup 99/ was estimated by considering the spontaneous fission of U/sup 238/ and the slow neutron induced fission of U/sup 235/ Experimental results were within the plus or minus 30% error limits involved in determining the estimate and, therefore, were in fair agreement with the estimated value. (P.C.H.)
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Arkansas, Fayetteville
- NSA Number:
- NSA-16-033283
- OSTI ID:
- 4766402
- Journal Information:
- Dissertation Abstr., Journal Name: Dissertation Abstr. Vol. Vol: 23
- Country of Publication:
- Country unknown/Code not available
- Language:
- English
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