Status of stable isotope enrichment, products, and services at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory
The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has been supplying enriched stable and radioactive isotopes to the research, medical, and industrial communities for over 50 years. Very significant changes have occurred in this effort over the past several years, and, while many of these changes have had a negative impact on the availability of enriched isotopes, more recent developments are actually improving the situation for both the users and the producers of enriched isotopes. ORNL is still a major producer and distributor of radioisotopes, but future isotope enrichment operations conducted at the Isotope Enrichment Facility (IEF) will be limited to stable isotopes. Among the positive changes in the enriched stable isotope area are a well-functioning, long-term contract program, which offers stability and pricing advantages; the resumption of calutron operations; the adoption of prorated conversion charges, which greatly improves the pricing of isotopes to small users; SIO 9002 registration of the IEF`s quality management system; and a much more customer-oriented business philosophy. Efforts are also being made to restore and improve upon the extensive chemical and physical form processing capabilities that once existed in the enriched stable isotope program. Innovative ideas are being pursued in both technical and administrative areas to encourage the beneficial use of enriched stable isotopes and the development of related technologies.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 403968
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9610183-1; ON: DE97000155; TRN: 97:000664
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 18. world conference of the International Nuclear Target Development Society (INTDS): nuclear targets - theory, practice, behavior, studies, Strasbourg (France), 7 Oct 1996; Other Information: PBD: [1996]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Oak Ridge Isotope Products and Services - Current and Expected Supply and Demand
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