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Title: Development of LEU (low enriched uranium) targets for sup 99 Mo production and their chemical processing status, 1989

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5612565

Most of the world's supply of {sup 99m}Tc for medical purposes is currently produced from {sup 99}Mo derived from the fissioning of high enriched uranium (HEU). Substitution of low enriched uranium (LEU) silicide fuel for the HEU alloy and aluminide fuels used in current target designs will allow equivalent {sup 99}Mo yields with no change in target geometries. Substitution of uranium metal for uranium oxide films in other target designs will also allow the substitution of LEU for HEU. Efforts performed in 1989 focused on (1) fabrication of a uranium metal target by Hot Isostatic Pressing uranium metal foil to zirconium, (2) experimental investigation of the dissolution step for U{sub 3}Si{sub 2} targets, allowing us to present a conceptual design for the dissolution process and equipment, and (3) investigation of the procedures used to reclaim irradiation uranium from Mo-production targets, allowing us to further analyze the waste and by-product problems associated with the substitution of LEU for HEU. 18 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE/NE
DOE Contract Number:
W-31109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
5612565
Report Number(s):
CONF-8909141-1; ON: DE90001428
Resource Relation:
Conference: 12. international meeting on reduced enrichment for research and test reactors, Berlin (Germany, F.R.), 10-13 Sep 1989
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English