Alkaline peroxide processing of LEU metal targets for {sup 99}Mo production
- Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)
Most {sup 99}Mo, a parent nuclide of the widely used medical isotope {sup 99m}Tc, is currently produced from the fission of highly enriched uranium targets. Within the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR) program at Argonne National laboratory, we are developing low-enriched uranium (LEU) targets and chemical processing technologies for the production of {sup 99}Mo. The present study focuses on the chemical dissolution of LEU metal foil targets by alkaline hydrogen peroxide. Chemical kinetics of uranium dissolution and hydrogen peroxide decomposition were studied in an open, batch-type reactor. It was found that the dissolution can be classified into two regimes depending on the hydroxide concentration. In the low-base regime, both the hydrogen peroxide and hydroxide concentrations affect the rate of reaction; in the high base regime, the rate of reaction is independent of alkali concentration. When the acid/base equilibrium between H{sub 2}O{sub 2} and O{sub 2}H{sup -} is taken into account, the uranium dissolution is a 1/4 order reaction with respect to hydrogen peroxide concentration over a wide range of NaOH concentrations from 0.01 to 5M.
- OSTI ID:
- 370677
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960376--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Processing of LEU targets for {sup 99}Mo production: Dissolution of U{sub 3}Si{sub 2} targets by alkaline hydrogen peroxide
Alkaline peroxide processing of low-enriched uranium targets for {sup 99}Mo production -- Decomposition of hydrogen peroxide