Mo-99 Production Using LEU Targets

IRRADIATION TESTING OF99Mo ISOTOPE PRODUCTION TARGETS EMPLOYING URANIUM METAL FOILS

G.L. Hofman, T.C. Wiencek, E.L. Wood and J.L. Snelgrove

Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne, Illinois 60439-4841 USA

A. Suripto, H. Nasution, D. Lufti-Amin and A. Gogo

Badan Tenaga Atom National, Indonesia

ABSTRACT

Most of the world's supply of ^99mTc for medical purposes is currently produced from the decay of ⁹⁹Mo derived from the fissioning of high-enriched uranium (HEU). Substitution of low-enriched uranium (LEU) metal foils for the HEU UO₂ used in current target designs will allow equivalent ⁹⁹Mo yields with little change in target geometries. Substitution of uranium metal for uranium alloy and aluminide in other target designs will also allow the conversion of HEU to LEU.

Several uranium-metal foil targets have been fabricated at ANL and irradiated to prototypic burnup in the Indonesian RSG-GAS reactor. Post-irradiation examination of the initial test indicated that design modifications were required to allow the irradiated foil to be removed for chemical processing. The latest test has shown good irradiation behavior, satisfactory dismantling and foil removal when the U-foil is separated from its containment by metallic, fission-recoil absorbing barriers.

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