Setting up of a facility for the recovery and storage of californium-252 from a capsule

Californium-252 having number of applications in divergent fields occupies a unique position in actinide elements. Its decay is associated with neutrons as well as beta, gamma and x-rays requiring special shielding facility. A facility for handling and storing up to fifty micrograms of californium in the Radiochemistry Division of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay, has been set up. A few shielding materials for this purpose have also been described. Different methods for its estimation have been discussed and compared. The purification of californium has been described briefly. The alpha spectrum obtained after electro-deposition from aqueous medium on stainless steel backing has been presented. (author)