<whitequark>
VLSI ICs made out of depleted uranium oxide as an intrinsic semiconductor
<whitequark>
" The energy band gap (forbidden band gap) for uranium dioxide (UO2) lies between Si and
<whitequark>
GaAs at the optimum of the band gap vs efficiency curve (1), indicating that one should be able to use
<whitequark>
uranium oxides to make very efficient solar cells, semiconductors, or other electronic device. "
<whitequark>
apparently US DoE has a funding programme whose sole goal is to figure out where the fuck to put all the depleted uranium they have
<whitequark>
other things it produced: using it as a catalyst for ammonia synthesis; using it as a catalytic converter to decompose pollutants such as dioxins
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<DocScrutinizer05>
I thought they already found a 'good' use for it: ammunition, heavier than Tungsten
<whitequark>
they did, also in aircraft
<DocScrutinizer05>
wasn't that waht they used all the time in Iraq war, to crack the tanks?
<whitequark>
those gyroscopes use tungsten balls or alternatively DU
<whitequark>
they did use it in iraq
<whitequark>
given that uranium is a heavy metal more toxic than lead... that was a real shitty idea
<DocScrutinizer05>
yeah
<whitequark>
actually that semiconductor idea kind of grew on me
<DocScrutinizer05>
anyway usage of really nasty metal oxides isn't new in electronics. I can't recall if it was beryllium-oxide or whatever that caused the "use hepa masks while mounting this power RF transistor"
<whitequark>
looks you could do very interesting things with it. it's a very high k
<whitequark>
20 instead 10 for silicon
<DocScrutinizer05>
whatever is "k"
<whitequark>
which means you can make even smaller transistors. currently they use some hafnium oxide
<DocScrutinizer05>
I'm baffled by the "2000some kelvin" tolerance
<DocScrutinizer05>
that's *awesome*
<whitequark>
yes, very refractory
<DocScrutinizer05>
however that's most likely not taking into account any dotation
<whitequark>
molybdenum crucibles have near characteristics
<whitequark>
and are currently used for growing sapphires
<DocScrutinizer05>
a semiconductor component not crapping out on >300°C, that for sure would be a damn useful thing
<whitequark>
re beryllium, yes, nasty stuff
<whitequark>
chronic incurable lung disease
<whitequark>
and enough to inhale it one time
<whitequark>
"The onset of symptoms can range from weeks up to tens of years from the initial exposure. In some individuals a single exposure can cause berylliosis.
<whitequark>
that's just downright evil
<whitequark>
regarding not crapping out on 300°C, that only takes into account refractory properties of the ceramic. silica is quite refractory itself
<DocScrutinizer05>
yes, and they made power transistors with a complete mounting plate made of beryllium oxide ceramic
<whitequark>
and in fact they did make ICs that can work at 600°C from silicon
<whitequark>
yeah. and they also used to put those into microwave oven magnetrons
<DocScrutinizer05>
when I was a young ignorant idiot I played with mercury. I reconsidered my approach to severely dangerous metals when I was 18 though
<DocScrutinizer05>
not only mercury, also uranium oxide
<DocScrutinizer05>
I had access to some "funny" substances back when
<whitequark>
mercury is overrated on danger scale I think. very low vapor pressure
<DocScrutinizer05>
yes
<whitequark>
still probably a good idea to not touch it if you can
<whitequark>
but there's some really inane paranoia around it
<whitequark>
it's not gonna kill you in a minute
<wpwrak>
mercifully, he changed his opinion on dangerous metals before could finish developing the bomb and get his personal seat in the UN security council
<DocScrutinizer05>
for sure not, But it's quite silly to spill the stuff in your sleeping room
<whitequark>
... someone told me about a video from a russian mercury plant
<whitequark>
the plant director was quite fond of mercury, for example he went and put his arm into a tank full of it
<wpwrak>
whitequark: do they take a vodka and then jump into the pools ? :)
<wpwrak>
hah, good enough
<whitequark>
and about another lab which processed mercury amalgams
<whitequark>
they had tilted floor and a sink
<whitequark>
for all the spilled mercury
<DocScrutinizer05>
I guess jumping into a pool of mercury really hurts badly
<wpwrak>
safety tip: only use dimethylmercury and wear gloves !
<whitequark>
lol
<whitequark>
despite all that stuff which would give OSHA an aneurysm, they'll only gain long-term neural damage in a decade or two. *shrug*
<whitequark>
mad hatters
<DocScrutinizer05>
well, what really scares shit outa me is methyl mercury in vaccines, as conservation agent
<whitequark>
phased out despite no evidence for toxicity
<whitequark>
if you're talking about thiomersal
<DocScrutinizer05>
yeah
<DocScrutinizer05>
used in flu vaccines onle a few years ago
<DocScrutinizer05>
no evidence for toxicity??
<DocScrutinizer05>
duh!
<wpwrak>
sometimes, it may just be better to err on the safe side
<DocScrutinizer05>
it's not used in vacciens for children under age of 6
<DocScrutinizer05>
I'm not generally scared of mercury, I'd dip my hand into a pool of it any time. But I won't ever swallow or inject stuff that contains mercury
<DocScrutinizer05>
not even homeopathic stuff
<DocScrutinizer05>
but uranium oxide chips, dang that could fly
<DocScrutinizer05>
:-)
<DocScrutinizer05>
I just wonder if they need immanent radiation hardening ;-)
<DocScrutinizer05>
ooh "airplanes", now I get it. >>Weiterhin wird abgereichertes Uran für Ausgleichsgewichte im Flugzeugbau verwendet<<
<DocScrutinizer05>
>>Zur Vermeidung von Kontaminationen und Strahlenbelastung wird das Uran in Gehäuse aus Stahlblech oder Aluminium eingeschweißt.<<
<whitequark>
maybe it's very hard to machine tungsten into a ball?
<DocScrutinizer05>
prolly uranium is way easier on casting
<DocScrutinizer05>
yes, exactly
<whitequark>
"Depleted uranium is preferred over similarly dense metals due to its ability to be easily machined and cast as well as its relatively low cost."
<whitequark>
yeep
<DocScrutinizer05>
idiots
<whitequark>
I dunno, tungsten is toxic as well
<DocScrutinizer05>
for airplane ballast you wouldn't even need to machine the tungsten into any particular shape. fine dust will do
<whitequark>
and /burning/ tungsten is especially bad
<DocScrutinizer05>
>>Nach dem derzeitigen Wissensstand gelten Wolfram und seine Verbindungen als physiologisch unbedenklich<<
<whitequark>
enwiki says this: Tungsten interferes with molybdenum and copper metabolism and is somewhat toxic to animal life.
<whitequark>
and I've been told to avoid white smoke from TIG welding electrodes
<whitequark>
which is WO4
<DocScrutinizer05>
I *think* they even used tungsten in antacidic medicine, to kill heliobakter or whatever
<whitequark>
well, it just needs to outweigh the costs
<whitequark>
and a stomach ulcer is pretty damn bad
<DocScrutinizer05>
in lungs WO4 prolly isn't healthy
<DocScrutinizer05>
oops no that been bismut I guess
<DocScrutinizer05>
... in antacida
<whitequark>
ohhhh yes
<whitequark>
bismuth is completely inert
<whitequark>
pepto-bismol
<DocScrutinizer05>
sorry
<whitequark>
there's a ton of that metal in the pills
<whitequark>
in fact so much that you can extract a sizable metal slug out of some crushed pills
<whitequark>
reduce it with e.g. aluminium in basic solution
<whitequark>
DocScrutinizer05: regarding drugs, we have something for treating trypanosomiasis
<whitequark>
called melarsoprol
<whitequark>
it's literally poisoning yourself with arsenic voluntarily and hoping that the parasite dies earlier than you
<whitequark>
"Among clinicians, it is colloquially referred to as "arsenic in antifreeze"."
<whitequark>
and you put that into your veins
<DocScrutinizer05>
ugh
<DocScrutinizer05>
friggin parasites
<whitequark>
now the fun part, the parasite actually developed resistance to it
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<DocScrutinizer05>
meh
<DocScrutinizer05>
friggin parasites
<DocScrutinizer05>
>>Inzwischen ist es Forschern gelungen, einen preiswerten Wirkstoff zu entwickeln, der keine Nebenwirkungen zeigt. Allerdings wurde dieser bisher nur an Mäusen getestet.<<