This glows for decades, is radioactive, but strangely still safe!

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Tritium is Radioactive and the H in H bomb yet it is also in your drinking water, can be bought without restriction and is even inside you right now. We demystify the magic and see why this radioactive substance is actually not bad for us.

simpsons radiation
If this is tritum, Homer never needed to wear a suit.

If you have never heard of it before, it looks similar to the green stuff Homer plays with in the Simpsons intro and can glow for up to 25 years.

Blackwater K36 tritium vials
Small Tritium vials are a great novelty keychain.

What is Tritium?

First discovered by Mark Oliphant, Ernest Rutherford and Paul Harteck in 1934. It is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen mainly used in research activities, neutron generators and fusion reactors.

The isotopes of hydrogen 1

Tritium is an isotope of Hydrogen with 3 Neutrons, Deuterium has 2 neutrons and Hydrogen only one.

When blended with a phosphor, a continuous glow is achieved.

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Different phosphors emit different colored light when exposed to tritium, so colors can easily be made.

It is everywhere

As a form of hydrogen it is naturally found in air,  water and you likely have some of it in your body right now.

How is Tritium made?

  • Naturally – When cosmic rays interact with nitrogen or deuterium in the upper atmosphere, it forms Tritium and carbon. The Tritium will then fall on the earth in the form of rain giving us the natural form of the radioactive chemical.
  • Artificially – Tritium is achieved by bombarding hydrogen with neutrons in an accelerator or a nuclear reactor.

Applications

It is widely used in self powered glowing items that “glow forever”.

Commercial self-powered lighting

tritium in some fancy watches
Top end watches containing Tritium hands and clock faces.

Small portions are used in self-powered lighting devices known as beta light. Betalights are used in many devices such as firearm night sights, map lights, exit signs, watches, knives, and medical diagnostics. Offering up to 25 years of glowing power they never need recharging or electricity, they just glow.

Military – Nuclear Weapons

H bomb tritium

The primary function of Tritium is to boost the yield of both fission and thermonuclear weapons. It is also used to enhance the efficiency of fission bombs as well as fission stages in a process known as “boosting”.

It’s the H in H bomb

When moving from fission to fusion, the two key ingredients for an H bomb are Tritium and Deuterium, when they react together, nuclear fusion occurs. This is the basis of the powerful H bomb.

Health and Safety

radioactive tritium

Despite it being radioactive and a key ingredient of destruction, the risks involved in regular levels of exposure are small, due to the following reasons:

  • It is a low energy beta emitter, so does not release high amounts of energy.
  • Chemically it behaves like water in the human body – forms T2O or HTO.
  • Has a short half-life – 12 years and passes through your body similar to water.
coloured by phosphors

This is not an invitation to go crazy and swim in the stuff, like most things, large doses can cause significant harm.

Discover the magic of Tritium yourself.

If you are looking for the 20-year glow, we have a small exclusive range of this radioactive material, browse our Triti vials now.