Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the
2004 International RERTR Meeting

MAKING OF FISSION ⁹⁹Mo FROM LEU SILICIDE(S): A RADIOCHEMISTS’ VIEW

Z.I. Kolar and H.Th. Wolterbeek
Department of Radiochemistry Interfaculty Reactor Institute
Delft University of Technology
Mekelweg 15, 2629 JB DELFT, The Netherlands

ABSTRACT
 

The present-day industrial scale production of 99Mo is fission based and involves thermal-neutron irradiation in research reactors of highly enriched uranium (HEU, > 20 % ²³⁵U) containing targets, followed by radiochemical processing of the irradiated targets resulting in the final product: a 99Mo containing chemical compound of molybdenum. In 1978 a program (RERTR) was started to develop a substitute for HEU reactor fuel i.e. a low enriched uranium (LEU, < 20 % ²³⁵U) one. In the wake of that program studies were undertaken to convert HEU into LEU based 99Mo production. Both new targets and radiochemical treatments leading to ⁹⁹Mo compounds were proposed. One of these targets is based on LEU silicide, U₃Si₂. Present paper aims at comparing LEU U₃Si₂ and LEU U3Si with another LEU target i.e. target material and arriving at some preferences pertaining to ⁹⁹Mo production.

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