[time-nuts] How dangerous if Rb lamp broken?

[Attila Kinali]

On Tue, 09 Jul 2013 12:33:11 +0200
Volker Esper <ailer2 at t-online.de> wrote:

> Toxicity is not the problem. Radioactivity was my biggest concern, when 
> I ordered my first Rb-clock.The manufacturer told me, there's no 
> radioactivity, that you have to fear. When the package came I used a 
> Geiger tube to calm myself down - there was no measurable activity at all.

If radioactivity is a concern, you should stop eating bananas and
do not go down to your cellar. And for gods sake, stop flying! ;-)

The amount of Rb in a vapor cell is very little. You take in more radiocative
material by eating a banana.

 
> If the clock doesn't work anymore, be careful when opening it, the bulb 
> could be broken (though impropable). I don't know how the Rubidium will 
> react in such a case, but it can react with the air and start to burn 
> (but remember, it's a very small amount) and you could get some mg of a 
> strong base, which is corrosive/caustic.

For the Rb to cause serious damage by burning, you need to drop a couple
of gramms into water. Anything else will not cause a fast enough reaction.
Beside, you have only a couple of milligram, not enough to cause anythingm 
major.  Also, if the cell is broken it is most likely that the Rb is already
highly oxidized by the time you open it (and thus mostly harmless, beside
it's basic behaviour).

> To come to the point: You won't be able to "wreak havoc" with a Rb-lamp...

Yes. Broken glass is sharp and will cause serious cuts if not handled
carefully.

			Attila Kinali
-- 
The trouble with you, Shev, is you don't say anything until you've saved
up a whole truckload of damned heavy brick arguments and then you dump
them all out and never look at the bleeding body mangled beneath the heap
		-- Tirin, The Dispossessed, U. Le Guin