The DOE Isotope Program (DOE IP) is pleased to announce the restart of routine production and availability of americium-241 (Am-241) in the United States. Used in a variety of industrial applications including oil and gas exploration, smoke detectors, and moisture gauges, bulk Am-241 has not been available for sale in the United States since 2004.
The DOE IP realized the importance of restoring a long-term domestic supply of Am-241 and supported a team of researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to re-establish a robust domestic production capability. LANL has substantial quantities of plutonium salt residues from decades of defense program work. The Am-241 from Plutonium-241 decay is extracted for use by the DOE IP resulting in a reduced radiation dose in the waste stream. This project provides a dual benefit, a needed radioisotope product for research and industry, and a more manageable waste for disposal.
Americium-241 (t1/2 = 432.6 years to neptunium-237) is processed at LANL and is available as a dioxide powder with a radiopurity >99%.
For further inquiries on Am-241, contact the NIDC at contact@isotopes.gov.
