Low-enriched uranium high-density target project. Compendium report

Technical Report · Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1331365· OSTI ID:1331365

Vandegrift, George ^[1]; Brown, M. Alex ^[1]; Jerden, James L. ^[1]; Gelis, Artem V. ^[1]; Stepinski, Dominique C. ^[1]; Wiedmeyer, Stanley ^[1]; Youker, Amanda ^[1]; Hebden, Andrew ^[1]; Solbrekken, Gary ^[2]; Allen, Charlie ^[2]; Robertson, David ^[2]; El-Gizawy, Sherif ^[2]; Govindarajan, Srisharan ^[2]; Hoyer, Annemarie ^[2]; Makarewicz, Philip ^[2]; Harris, Jacob ^[2]; Graybill, Brian ^[2]; Gunn, Andy ^[2]; Berlin, James ^[2]; Bryan, Chris ^[3] ; Carbajo, Juan ^[3]; Freels, Jim ^[3]; Sherman, Steven ^[3]; Hobbs, Randy ^[3]; Griffin, Fred P. ^[3]; Chandler, David ^[3]; Hurt, C. J. ^[3]; Williams, Paul ^[3]; Creasy, John ^[4]; Tjader, Barak ^[4]; McFall, Danielle ^[4]; Longmire, Hollie ^[4]

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1. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
2. Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO (United States)
3. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
4. Y-12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

At present, most ⁹⁹Mo is produced in research, test, or isotope production reactors by irradiation of highly enriched uranium targets. To achieve the denser form of uranium needed for switching from high to low enriched uranium (LEU), targets in the form of a metal foil (~125-150 µm thick) are being developed. The LEU High Density Target Project successfully demonstrated several iterations of an LEU-fission-based Mo-99 technology that has the potential to provide the world’s supply of Mo-99, should major producers choose to utilize the technology. Over 50 annular high density targets have been successfully tested, and the assembly and disassembly of targets have been improved and optimized. Two target front-end processes (acidic and electrochemical) have been scaled up and demonstrated to allow for the high-density target technology to mate up to the existing producer technology for target processing. In the event that a new target processing line is started, the chemical processing of the targets is greatly simplified. Extensive modeling and safety analysis has been conducted, and the target has been qualified to be inserted into the High Flux Isotope Reactor, which is considered above and beyond the requirements for the typical use of this target due to high fluence and irradiation duration.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-06CH11357
• OSTI ID: 1331365
• Report Number(s): ANL/NE-16/15; 130420
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
Conversion
Low enriched uranium
targets for Mo-99 production