Cobalt-60

Name:
Cobalt-60
Detailed information:
Radioactive cobalt of mass number 60. One of the most common radioisotopes.

Properties:

Half-life 5.3 years; radiation β and γ. Radiocobalt is available in larger quantities and is cheaper than radium.

Derivation:

Irradiation of cobalt oxide, Co2O3, or of cobalt.

Available forms:

Encapsulated pellets or wire needles, cobaltous chloride in hydrochloric acid solution, solid cobaltic oxides, labeled compounds such as cyanocobalamin (USP).

Hazard:

Radioactive poison.

Use:

Radiation therapy (cancer), radiographic testing of welds and castings, as a source of ions in gas-discharge devices, as the radiation source in liquid-level gauges, for locating buried telephone and electrical conduits, portable radiation units, γ-irradiation for wheat and potatoes, as a research aid in studying the permeability of porous media to flow of oil, wearing quality of floor wax, oil consumption in internal-combustion engines, wool dyeing, etc.