On Tue, May 22, 2012 at 7:19 AM, wrote: > > >You should be able to get suitable pieces of ready cut tantalum from > > >any supplier of scientific metal sheet. > > > > Why not lead? > > While lead may be heavier, I believe tantalum is denser, in terms of > stopping particles that occur in upper atmosphere/low earth orbit > conditions. > > "Where space is at a premium and radiation protection is important, lead is often prescribed. It is recognized that lead is not the densest element (e.g., tantalum, tungsten, and thorium are higher on the density scale), but lead is readily available, easily fabricated and the lowest cost of these materials." from: http://www.marsmetal.com/sheet-lead/radiation-shielding --=20 Carey Fisher Chief Technical Officer New Communications Solutions, LLC 678-999-3956 careyfisher@ncsradio.com --=20 http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist .