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U.S. Department of Energy
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Disposition Options for Mk-42 Materials - 17072

Conference ·
OSTI ID:22800307
; ;  [1]
  1. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P. O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States)
In the late 1980s, the DOE Defense Programs identified a need to recover special isotopes of americium, curium, and plutonium (Am/Cm/Pu) from Mark-42 (Mk-42) targets that had been irradiated at the SRS. Eighty Mk-42 target segments were transferred from SRS to ORNL for recovery of these special isotopes. Approximately 65% of the target materials has been processed and converted to solids. The remaining Mk-42 materials are either targets stored in their irradiated forms or target material stored from various stages of processing. The Pu, Am-243 and Cm-244 in these targets are valuable materials; for example, the Am/Cm materials are potential feedstocks for production of heavy actinides (Cf-252, Bk-249, etc.). Although the isotopes in the Mk-42 materials have value, there is continual pressure to look at de-inventorying material in storage to only retain the most valuable materials needed to meet mission needs and to allow other materials to be added to the inventory as they become available. Evaluations are underway for potential disposition options for the Mk-42 materials. (authors)
Research Organization:
WM Symposia, Inc., PO Box 27646, 85285-7646 Tempe, AZ (United States)
OSTI ID:
22800307
Report Number(s):
INIS-US--19-WM-17072
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English