USES OF CAESIUM-137
Industry uses radioisotopes in a variety of ways to improve productivity and gain information that cannot be obtained in any other way.
Caesium is one of the most common radioisotopes used in industry. Uses include:
- Moisture-density gauges - widely used in the construction industry
- Leveling gauges - used in industries to detect liquid flow in pipes and tanks. In many cases, more than one oil company may use the same pipeline. One way to determine when different oils come through the pipeline is to add a little cesium-137 when a new batch of oil is being sent. The cesium-137 gives off radiation which can be detected easily by holding a detector at the end of the pipeline. When the detector shows the presence of radiation, a new batch of oil has arrived.
- Thickness gauges - for measuring thickness of sheet metal, paper, film and many other products
- Well-logging devices - used in the drilling industry to help characterize rock strata
- Welding and pipes - spotting out cracks
- Caesium-137 is also used in monitoring the weight and density of industrial product