Nickel63

Nickel-63, often written Ni-63, is a radioactive isotope of nickel. It has an atomic number of 28 and a mass number of 63. Ni-63 is not one of nickel’s stable isotopes; natural nickel consists of several stable isotopes, while Ni-63 is produced artificially and occurs only in small quantities outside of specialized facilities. The isotope decays by beta-minus emission to copper-63, and it has a half-life of about 100 years.

Production and occurrence: Ni-63 is mainly produced in nuclear reactors through neutron irradiation of nickel-62, via the reaction Ni-62(n,γ)Ni-63. It is then separated and packaged as a radiation source for various applications. Ni-63 does not occur naturally in appreciable amounts and is typically obtained as a byproduct of reactor operations or through targeted irradiation of nickel-containing materials.

Applications and uses: Ni-63 serves as a low-energy beta radiation source used in scientific instrumentation and industrial calibrations. It has been employed in detector calibration, thickness gauges, and research into betavoltaic or long-lived power concepts. Its relatively long half-life and the low energy of its beta particles make it suitable for certain calibration and reference applications, provided appropriate safety measures are in place.

Safety and regulation: Handling Ni-63 requires adherence to radiation safety practices. As a beta emitter, it poses internal hazard if ingested or inhaled and external exposure is generally less penetrating. Sealed or well-contained sources are used in many applications, with regulatory controls governing production, transport, storage, and disposal.

See also: nickel, isotopes, beta decay, radiological safety.