The Atom-Smasher Helps Again

Atom-smashing machines--once the mysterious toys of theoretical physicists--have recently been put to everyday metallurgical chores: > In assaying ores, Geologists at M.I.T. have announced that when a sample of rock is bombarded with neutrons (heavy nuclear particles) from the cyclotron, some elements in the ore become radioactive and give off particles which can be detected either 1) on a photographic film in contact with the ore, or 2) with a Geiger counter, an instrument which clicks or marks a tape as each particle shoots through it. Since each element has a unique rate of radioactive decay (e.g., radioactivity of manganese declines by one-half every 2.5 hours, of gold every 2.5 days), the identity and quantity of the hidden elements is readily determined. > In timing steel smelting. All iron contains traces of phosphorus which makes steel brittle and must be "burned" out by prolonged cooking. Steel is often overcooked, wasting time and money, just to make sure. But Westinghouse scientists in East Pittsburgh now make radioactive phosphorus with their atom-smasher, add a little of it to the molten iron. Then, as the steel cooks, it is an easy matter to take hourly samples, test them for radioactivity. When the radioactivity is gone, the phosphorus is gone.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.