Radioactivity and magnetism, help with an easy question

[F Gump]

First off I am sorry for asking this question , as I am sure I am way off base. I collect high end pocket knives and some of the blades have become a little magnetized; so i found a demagnetizer that uses NdFeB30 magnets, which are rare earth? MY question is this, if i rub the demagnetiser over the blade will it get rid of all magnetism, but could it induce any radioactivity into the blade. Also is neodymium or boron radioactive? Thanks for the help, i just didnt want to walk around with a radioactive pocketknife. P.s Yes i do have a little OCD about radioactive material and radiation.

 

[Morbius]

First off I am sorry for asking this question , as I am sure I am way off base. I collect high end pocket knives and some of the blades have become a little magnetized; so i found a demagnetizer that uses NdFeB30 magnets, which are rare earth? MY question is this, if i rub the demagnetiser over the blade will it get rid of all magnetism, but could it induce any radioactivity into the blade. Also is neodymium or boron radioactive? Thanks for the help, i just didnt want to walk around with a radioactive pocketknife. P.s Yes i do have a little OCD about radioactive material and radiation.

F Gump,

Your demagnetizer is not going to make anything radioactive.

In order to make something radioactive - you have to alter the nucleus
of the atoms which comprise the material. Your demagnetizer doesn't
affect the atoms - and most certainly not the nucleus. It rearranges
the magnetic domains in the material so that they are more random -
hence, no net magnetic field.

Radiation is all around you - the world is full of it. Courtesy of
Idaho State University, here's a list of some of the sources, and how
much you get from each:

http://www.physics.isu.edu/radinf/radrus.htm

As you can see, 82% of your radiation exposure is natural - with 11%
coming from the fact the YOU are radioactive.

Medical uses of radiation and certain consumer products account for
another ~18%.

Industrial uses of radiation, nuclear power [ nuclear fuel cycle ] and
nuclear weapons fallout - as you can see in the table, are "in the noise",
each a small fraction of 1%.

Dr. Gregory Greenman
Physicist

 

[raining Pete]

No need to apologize for asking a question, it's always better to seek clarification than to remain unsure. As for your question, using a demagnetizer with NdFeB30 magnets should not induce any radioactivity into the blade. Neodymium and boron are not inherently radioactive elements, so there should be no concern about your pocketknife becoming radioactive. However, if you are still worried, you can always check with the manufacturer of the demagnetizer to see if they have any information about potential radioactivity. It's always better to be safe and informed.