solo projects
Polonium
Polonium can be used to eliminate static electricity in machinery that is caused by processes such as the rolling of paper, wire or sheet metal, although other materials which emit beta particles are more commonly used for this purpose. Polonium is also used in brushes for removing dust from photographic films, although the polonium must be carefully sealed to protect the user from contamination.
Antistatic brush.
Domestically, record cleaning antistatic brush uses a small film of polonium, safely encapsulated under a layer of gold, to discharge any static electricity in the area of the brush. The beta particles (electrons) emitted from the polonium make the air around the brush tip slightly conductive, allowing the brush to neutralize static charge on objects it is passed over. The half-life of the isotope used is fairly short, requiring the user to install a new cartridge every few years.
Polonium is also combined with beryllium to form neutron sources. This very expensive form wound its way, criss-crossing between Moscow to London, leaving traces of its journey, a radioactive message from Russia, with love.