Scalability of the LEU-Modified Cintichem Process: 3-MeV Van de Graaff and 35-MeV Electron Linear Accelerator Studies

Technical Report · Mon Oct 31 04:00:00 EDT 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1333832· OSTI ID:1333832

Rotsch, David A. ^[1]; Brossard, Tom ^[1]; Roussin, Ethan ^[1]; Quigley, Kevin ^[1]; Chemerisov, Sergey ^[1]; Gromov, Roman ^[1]; Jonah, Charles ^[1]; Hafenrichter, Lohman ^[1]; Tkac, Peter ^[1]; Krebs, John ^[1]; Vandegrift, George F. ^[1]

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1. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Nuclear Engineering Division

Molybdenum-99, the mother of Tc-99m, can be produced from fission of U-235 in nuclear reactors and purified from fission products by the Cintichem process, later modified for low-enriched uranium (LEU) targets. The key step in this process is the precipitation of Mo with α-benzoin oxime (ABO). The stability of this complex to radiation has been examined. Molybdenum-ABO was irradiated with 3 MeV electrons produced by a Van de Graaff generator and 35 MeV electrons produced by a 50 MeV/25 kW electron linear accelerator. Dose equivalents of 1.7–31.2 kCi of Mo-99 were administered to freshly prepared Mo-ABO. Irradiated samples of Mo-ABO were processed according to the LEU Modified-Cintichem process. The Van de Graaff data indicated good radiation stability of the Mo-ABO complex up to ~15 kCi dose equivalents of Mo-99 and nearly complete destruction at doses >24 kCi Mo-99. The linear accelerator data indicate that even at 6.2 kCi of Mo-99 equivalence of dose, the sample lost ~20% of Mo-99. The 20% loss of Mo-99 at this low dose may be attributed to thermal decomposition of the product from the heat deposited in the sample during irradiation.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (NA-20). Office of Material Management and Minimization (M3)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-06CH11357
• OSTI ID: 1333832
• Report Number(s): ANL/NE--16/40; 131783
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
ELECTRONS
FISSION PRODUCTS
IRRADIATION
ISOTOPE PRODUCTION
LINAC
MEV RANGE 01-10
MEV RANGE 10-100
MOLYBDENUM
MOLYBDENUM 99
MOLYBDENUM COMPLEXES
Mo-99
Mo-ABO
OXIMES
PRECIPITATION
PYROLYSIS
RADIOLOYSIS
STABILITY
TERA BQ RANGE
Van de Graaff
dosimetry