Polonium is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Po and atomic number 84. A rare radioactive metalloid, polonium is chemically similar to tellurium and bismuth and occurs in uranium ores. Polonium had been studied for possible use in heating spacecraft.

Notable Characteristics

This radioactive substance dissolves readily in dilute acids, but is only slightly soluble in alkalis. It is closely related chemically to bismuth and tellurium.

Polonium-210 is a volatile metal with 50% being vaporized in air after 45 hours at 328 K. This isotope is an alpha emitter that has a half-life of 138.39 days. A milligram of this metalloid emits as many alpha particles as 5 grams of radium.

A great deal of energy is released by its decay with a half a gram quickly reaching a temperature above 750 K. A few curies of polonium emit a blue glow which is caused by excitation of surrounding air.

Applications

When it is mixed or alloyed with beryllium, polonium can be a neutron source.

Beryllium-7

ISOTOPE ⁷Be
Half Life / Daughter	53.28 days to lithium-7
Major Radiation	Gamma - 477.6 keV
Form	LANL: Beryllium (II) in 1 M HCl BNL: Carbon dispersed in water or Beryllium (II) in 1 N HCl
Activity	HCl: > 1.0 mCi/ml (concentration) Carbon: 30-65 mCi/ 5 g of carbon
Radiopurity	99%
PRODUCTION
Source	BNL: Proton spallation in water and stainless steel encapsulated carbon black LANL: Proton spallation on natural zinc oxide targets
Processing	HCl: Dissolution and ion exchange Carbon: Washing carbon from stainless steel
DISTRIBUTION
Shipment	Crimp-seal bottle
Availability	Stock
Unit of Sale	Millicuries for solution form Lot for carbon form
Note: Quantity discounts may be available. Call for current discounted price.
Contacts	Oak Ridge National Laboratory