Radioluminescent lighting technology

Conference · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6239202

The glow-in-the-dark stereotype that characterizes the popular image of nuclear materials is not accidental. When the French scientist, Henri Becquerel, first discovered radioactivity in 1896, he was interested in luminescence. Radioluminescence, the production of light from a mixture of energetic and passive materials, is probably the oldest practical application of the unstable nucleus. Tritium-based radioluminescent lighting, in spite of the biologically favorable character of the gaseous tritium isotope, was included in the general tightening of environmental and safety regulations. Tritium light manufacturers would have to meet two fundamental conditions: (1) The benefit clearly outweighed the risk, to the extent that even the perceived risk of a skeptical public would be overcome. (2) The need was significant enough that the customer/user would be willing and able to afford the cost of regulation that was imposed both in the manufacture, use and eventual disposal of nuclear materials. In 1981, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory were investigating larger radioluminescent applications using byproduct nuclear material such as krypton-85, as well as tritium. By 1982, it appeared that large source, (100 Curies or more) tritium gas tube, lights might be useful for marking runways and drop zones for military operations and perhaps even special civilian aviation applications. The successful development of this idea depended on making the light bright enough and demonstrating that large gas tube sources could be used and maintained safely in the environment. This successful DOE program is now in the process of being completed and closed-out. Working closely with the tritium light industry, State governments and other Federal agencies, the basic program goals have been achieved. This is a detailed report of what they have learned, proven, and discovered. 91 refs., 29 figs., 5 tabs. (JF)

• Research Organization: USDOE Assistant Secretary for Defense Programs, Washington, DC (USA). Office of Classification and Technology Policy
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/DP
• OSTI ID: 6239202
• Report Number(s): CONF-9009201--; ON: DE91004918
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research
Development
Demonstration
& Commercialization
42 ENGINEERING
426000 -- Engineering-- Components
Electron Devices & Circuits-- (1990-)
ABSTRACTS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
DOCUMENT TYPES
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
HYDROGEN TRITIDE
INORGANIC ION EXCHANGERS
INORGANIC PHOSPHORS
ION EXCHANGE MATERIALS
ISOTOPES
LEADING ABSTRACT
LIGHT NUCLEI
LIGHTING SYSTEMS
LUMINESCENCE
MATERIALS
MINERALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANIC CRYSTAL PHOSPHORS
PHOSPHORS
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RADIATION PROTECTION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOLUMINESCENCE
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
TRITIDES
TRITIUM
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
VOLUMETRIC ANALYSIS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ZEOLITES