You might wish to contact "Brush-Wellman" at 1-800-423-3645. They are "the
beryllium window folks."
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2000 12:02 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: RIET: x-ray tubes, disposing of
In reply to:
> Dear Members,
>
> I tried to dispose of some used x-ray tubes, but our hazardous waste
> department would not take them because they are under vacuum. Because of
> the beryllium window in each tube, I do not want to just toss them into
the
> garbage bin. (I've been told that beryllium is highly toxic.) I suppose I
> can break the glass on the tubes, thus breaking the vacuum, and send them
> to the hazardous waste department.
>
> How do other crystallographers dispose of old x-ray tubes?
>
> Thanks in advance for your input.
>
> Yvonne Leduc
It is usually easier to break the Be window to release the vacuum. Also
it is the soluble compounds of Be that are very toxic, not the metal itself.
You may find Be corrosion compounds on or around the edge of the window.
Personally, I have been quite happy to put the tube in a plastic bag, and
then knock out all 4 windows as long as the tubes have not been allowed
to corrode - it doesn't take long as the Be metal is quite brittle. The
Be metal can then be disposed of separately.
Breaking the glass sounds far more hazardous to me and could lead to cuts,
etc.
Jeremy Karl Cockcroft.
