Cobalt-60 (⁶⁰C)

Cobalt-60 is the most common form of radioactive cobalt that is commercially available. It is used in the form of tracer and radioactive therapeutic agent.

Cobalt-60 has a half life (the time in which a radioactive element looses 50%of its radioactivity) is 5.27 years.

⁶⁰Co decays by beta decay to the stable isotope nickel-60.

The main uses for ⁶⁰Co are:

• As a tracer for cobalt in chemical reactions
• Sterilization of medical equipment.
• Radiation source for medical radiotherapy.
• Radiation source for industrial radiography.
• Radiation source for leveling devices and thickness gauges.
• Radiation source for pest insect sterilization.
• As a radiation source for food irradiation and blood irradiation.
• As a radiation source for laboratory mutagenesis use.

Cobalt-60 has no natural source. It is being synthesized by bombarding Cobalt-59 (⁵⁹C) with a slow neutron source.