About Nuclear Gauges
The use of nuclear gauges is a type of industrial radiography. Radiography is the use of radiation to produce an image on photographic film. This is similar to the way a medical x-ray uses radiation to produce images of bones.
Nuclear gauges measure three main things: thickness, density, and fill level. Thickness gauges are used in manufacturing to make sure an entire product or material is the same thickness throughout, or to make sure the coating on a material is even. Density gauges are used in cement, petroleum, and road production to make sure that the density of a material is the same. Level gauges measure how much liquid is in a container, to make sure that each container has the same amount of product.
Nuclear gauges have a radioactive source that is covered by a radiation blocking shield. Gauges can contain a gamma, beta or neutron radiation source. Different sources are used depending on what the nuclear gauge is measuring. Radiation from a nuclear gauge does not make the materials it measures radioactive.
