# Tritium questions



## craigberesh (Oct 17, 2007)

Ok I have been reading a little about Tritum rings vials and paint. So my questions are...

Is it legal to have this in USA?
Can it be transported?
is it safe or not?
what is best source to get from in small amounts.

I am wanting to try to use on a few lights I am working on.

I would like to Mod my lights with it.


----------



## legtu (Oct 18, 2007)

may i suggest a forum search? 

here's some of the threads that came up in my search...
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/107823
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/172719


----------



## Stillphoto (Oct 20, 2007)

Also there is no such thing as tritium paint.


----------



## wykeite (Oct 21, 2007)

Stillphoto said:


> Also there is no such thing as tritium paint.


 
You need to clarify that statement. Many watch manufacturers 'claim' to have tritium painted hands/nos etc., I have no reason to disbelieve them as the progression was Radium/ Promethium/ Tritium for luminous paints. Promethium was abandoned because of it's extremely short lived half life.

I sincerely hope that watch manufacturers are not misrepresenting themselves. 

I have no proof one way or the other, but I'd like to know the facts. At the moment it seems the claim of one little voice on CPF versus big name watch manufacturers.


----------



## mossyoak (Oct 21, 2007)

i have never seen a watch manu claim to have tritium painted watch hands. i have seen superluminova and such painted watch hands (omega for example), and i have seen tritium vials installed on weatch hands (luminox for example)


----------



## [email protected] (Oct 21, 2007)

Tritium paint has been banned long ago due to toxi*c*ity. 

Here you can read some about tritium in watches: Tritium Technology in Military Watches.


----------



## wykeite (Oct 21, 2007)

Ollech and Wajs for one. 

T SWISS MADE T at the bottom of the dial is used to denote the the use of tritium paint showing that it is below the permissible limits of radiation emission and also T in a circle denoting the use of tritium paint. 

Actually in the specs for many military watches.


----------



## mossyoak (Oct 21, 2007)

wykeite said:


> Ollech and Wajs for one.
> 
> T SWISS MADE T at the bottom of the dial is used to denote the the use of tritium paint showing that it is below the permissible limits of radiation emission and also T in a circle denoting the use of tritium paint.
> 
> Actually in the specs for many military watches.



Is that a fact?

The Lumiox 3100 on my wrist right now says T SWISS MADE T but it has no tritium paint, just 16 tritium vials.


----------



## Illum (Oct 21, 2007)

say [email protected], still have tritium stock?


----------



## wykeite (Oct 21, 2007)

[email protected] said:


> Tritium paint has been banned long ago due to toxidity.
> 
> Here you can read some about tritium in watches: Tritium Technology in Military Watches.


 

Not so apparently, as the radiation produced hasn't the energy to penetrate the dead layer of skin on our body there's no reason to ban it.

If the paint has been banned due to it's _toxicity_ (the word you were looking for) why are GTLS vials allowed. If the radiation can go through the metal of a watch then a puny glass vial makes no difference.

Sorry it's an argument that dosen't hold up. The banning theory all stems from it's military use and the ongoing requirement for it and the fact that the US government cannot account for the loss of a few grammes it exported.


----------



## [email protected] (Oct 21, 2007)

Nothing for sale at the moment, I'm also waiting for my order... 

Re the toxicity: I'm not sure there, I can imagine lots more tritium needed for the paint and certainly a higher rate of "evaporating", thus making direct contact or ingestion easier... :thinking:


----------



## wykeite (Oct 21, 2007)

mossyoak said:


> Is that a fact?
> 
> The Lumiox 3100 on my wrist right now says T SWISS MADE T but it has no tritium paint, just 16 tritium vials.


 

The T SWISS MADE T indicates the use of tritium and shows the output is below the accepted maximum. Vials and paint watches should both bear this. T just indicates the fact that tritium is used, not how it is used.

GOOGLE for more info.


----------



## mossyoak (Oct 21, 2007)

wykeite said:


> GOOGLE for more info.



nah, i dont really care. i just know that at night the watch glows. and thats good enoguh for me.


----------



## wykeite (Oct 21, 2007)

And good too.


----------



## Tritium (Oct 22, 2007)

Some early military stuff had "radium" painted dials. They were a bit hot. I have an old wrist compass with radium paint. Won't wear it however.

Thurmond


----------



## Illum (Oct 22, 2007)

green paint was always a matter of toxicity back then....I think all the way up to the 90's green ceramic glazing still use uranium crystals:sick2:

tritium paint was advertised as bomb shelter emergency products as "GITD wonder material" not until people begin developing hives and red welts before someone noticed its radioactivity.

tritium tubes [IIRC] uses phosphor to generate light, not radiation [least I hope not, since theres two currently mounted close to my eyeballs atm, _magical glasses in the night finder_]


----------



## [email protected] (Oct 22, 2007)

Hmm, X-ray eyes...


----------



## tvodrd (Oct 22, 2007)

OP wanted to know if its legal in the US. You can buy tritium watches and gun sights over the counter! The manufacturers are licensed by the NRC. "Can it be transported?" I hope so, as every time I board a plane it is with 16 vials in the watch, 5 on the avatar, and one on the keyring. "Is it safe or not?" Should be, as unlike the USA, nannylands like Britain permit its sale for "frivolous" things like glowthings to help find your keys in the dark.

I Googled tritium paint, as I had never heard of it, and the second hit was a very cool article! It existed! It wouldn't make sense using the tritium in gaseous form. I mean, like the CH3CH2OH I'm drinking has a whole bunch of hydrogens which could be in the H3 form. Same for sugars and innumerable solid molecules which could be mixed with phosphors to glow!

Back in the '70s I had a Timex that used a couple vials to backlight the display. When the watch died, I removed them and had them laying on a shelf forever. Don't remember what eventually happened to them. (OMG, I'm gonna die!  )

Larry


----------



## Illum (Oct 22, 2007)

[email protected], whenever you post a random pic in a thread it reminded me of the time when you "sour graped" the fenix thread:naughty:


----------



## Marduke (Oct 22, 2007)

Tritium paint was banned for the same reason lead paint was. Sure, it's fine if in something sealed like a watch, but for general use in exposed circumstances, it can be inhaled or ingested by the unknowing with less than fortunate consequences.


----------



## Ken_McE (Oct 22, 2007)

Is it legal to have this in USA?

Rings ~ No.
Vials ~ No
Paint ~ Hell no.
As part of a watch, compass, or weapon ~ Yes

Can it be transported?

Safely ~ Yes
Legally ~ Probably not.

is it safe or not? ~ Yes.

what is best source to get from in small amounts. ~ Anywhere outside the US.

I am wanting to try to use on a few lights I am working on. ~ Cool.

I would like to Mod my lights with it. ~ Is easy, works good.


----------



## thiswayup (Nov 2, 2007)

mossyoak said:


> i have never seen a watch manu claim to have tritium painted watch hands.



Well, yes, they are rare, but they still exist. If you don't believe me, type "tritium painted watch" into google. Royal Navy issue diving watches use enormous trit paint markings, I think.


----------



## EngrPaul (Oct 14, 2009)

I was just informed by Bart (by email) regarding a package did not make it to me...

quote: "chances are your parcel is intercepted... tritium isn't allowed in the U.S." 



Evidently this topic isn't discussed enough that people (like me) know the details regarding this restriction and it's implications.

Look how old this post is! I click on some of the links and they lead to dead ends. 

I wish I knew the details regarding this restriction. Can someone go into more detail?

Kinda frustrated I foolishly spent money on something that would be confiscated, and possibly draw attention to my household. :sick2:

Somebody, please help with the details!


----------



## csshih (Oct 14, 2009)

there's an extremely small chance that when customs, opening the package, would even know what tritium is. I'd even go so far to say that it is more likely your package got lost, not confiscated.

Yes indeed, it is a controlled product in the united states. The NRC does this regulation.


----------



## EngrPaul (Oct 14, 2009)

csshih said:


> there's an extremely small chance that when customs, opening the package, would even know what tritium is. I'd even go so far to say that it is more likely your package got lost, not confiscated.
> 
> Yes indeed, it is a controlled product in the united states. The NRC does this regulation.


 
Craig,

Thanks for your comments. This "chance" you estimate seems to disagree with what Bart wrote in his emails... I'd like to hear other's experiences too.:thinking:

If this is an important topic, I wish it wasn't buried under "Materials/Mechanical/Machining", where I don't visit. I had to do a search to find this thread. :duh2:

I recall seeing a post regarding a truckload of Wal-Mart exit signs that were stolen, and the large amount of tritium not accounted for got the attention of the NRC. That's all I knew, I thought in small amounts it's considered non-hazardous. That's what everbody keeps saying around here. :shrug:


----------



## gadget_lover (Oct 14, 2009)

It's not hazardous, in certain ways. 

If inhaled, it can cause problems. If embedded in just about anything the radiation is not a problem.

IIRC, the import laws allow it to be shipped as part of a product, but not as plain glass vials or other forms.

With the advent of radiation detectors in ports, it's not surprising that the enforcement is getting more rigorous. 

Daniel


----------



## 65535 (Oct 15, 2009)

There isn't really enough radiation to set off anything but the most super sensitive detectors, especially considering the amount of physical shielding between a container and the small vials.

I have had shipments make it here from Bart fine.

I wouldn't worry, shipping is completely at chance for speed from out of country.


----------



## Oznog (Oct 18, 2009)

AFAIK it's not that it's not in a product, but total _amount_ of isotope.
Watches and sights use very small volumes of tritium. Tritium exit signs use much more but require some form of NRC licensing.

I was under the impression that DX's short, weak knockoff of the Traser keychain allowed them to be legally shipped to the US, but I could be wrong.


----------



## csshih (Oct 18, 2009)

Oznog said:


> I was under the impression that DX's short, weak knockoff of the Traser keychain allowed them to be legally shipped to the US, but I could be wrong.



the NRC says that "frivolous" uses of tritium are prohibited..
..then again, what is frivolous?

united nuclear used to sell trasers.. not anymore... or are they just OOS :shrug:?


----------

