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Isotope Program Monthly Highlights are briefly described. These include data on isotopes shipped, updates on equipment fabrication and testing, a potential new approach for nondestructive measurement of the amount of Cf-252 deposited on a surface, and efforts to recover and purify uranium-234 obtained from old PuBe sources.
This is an overview of the the isotope experiments performed in July 2016.
This is an overview of the the isotope experiments performed in August 2016.
This is an overview of the the isotope experiments performed in September 2016.
This was a collaborative effort between the University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Spectra Gases, Inc., to develop new and cheaper sources of Oxgyen-18 (O-18), Carbon-13 (C-13), and Xenon-129 (Xe-129), and to develop new applications of these stable medical isotopes in medicine resulting in a substantial increase in stable isotopes that are important to human health sciences.
R&D efforts in support of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Isotope Program Radioisotope Portfolio are led by the Radioisotope Science and Technology Division (RSTD). In addition to supporting the ORNL Isotope Program Radioisotope Portfolio, RSTD supports a portfolio of research related to fundamental properties of radioisotopes and radioisotope applications, including diagnostic and therapeutic uses of medical radioisotopes, radioisotopes for national security, and the production of 238 Pu for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy. RSTD is organized into functional science and engineering groups, with most staff members supporting multiple programs. The goal of this organization is to enable synergy between programs such that R&D advances coming from other programs may provide benefit to the ORNL Isotope Program. R&D within RSTD is focused around addressing five grand challenges, as documented in the strategic plan for the DOE Office of Isotope R&D and Production, or DOE Isotope Program (IP), Radioisotope Production R&D activities at ORNL: 1. Maximizing the scientific output of radioisotope transmutation resources, 2. Maximizing the scientific output of radioisotope processing resources, 3. Minimizing waste and having optimal waste disposition, 4. Focusing on product quality and reliability, and 5. Expanding the use of beneficial isotopes. The ORNL Core R&D program, one of the primary R&D components within the ORNL Isotope Program Radioisotope Portfolio, ranges from benchtop to demonstration activities, with a focus on researching enhanced production techniques, developing emerging isotopes, and developing the talent pipeline for radioisotope science and technology. Projects within the Core R&D Program are led primarily by RSTD staff members. In supporting enhanced production techniques, the Core R&D program presents an opportunity to fund novel R&D that might not be tied to a specific radioisotope product but still presents a high potential for broad applicability in the longer term. In supporting the development of emerging isotopes, the Core R&D program develops high-priority isotopes that are not able to be fully supported through production funds.
Abstract not provided.
Y-12 separated isotopes to win the war, then during the 1950s separated isotopes to save lives. Y-12's calutrons were used for a peacetime mission in the stable isotope program. Y-12 provided stable isotopes for research in medicine, agriculture, industry and biology.
In this proposal we outline the methods to improve the isotope production of astatine-211 at the University of Pennsylvania Cyclotron Facility. Astatine-211 is an isotope that emits alpha- radiation and has high potential for treating otherwise untreatable cancers. The goal of this proposal is two fold, 1) Optimize current production of astatine-211 and maintain routine production and 2) develop new isotope production target systems and chemical isolation systems. By completing this proposal we will ensure that the University of Pennsylvania Cyclotron Facility continues to build it’s isotope program in an effort that unites under DOE isotope network supply initiatives with the overall goal of increasing the national supply of isotopes. The University of Pennsylvania is uniquely located in the northeast corridor of the United States of America and has access to dozens of institutions that could use astatine-211 in their research. With the support of the DOE we have the opportunity to provide additional momentum to this growing field of research and will be able to provide the foundation for economical development of astatine-211 research and application in medicine.
The Department of Energy Isotope Program (DOE IP) hosted a virtual workshop on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Isotope R&D and Production on March 17 and April 14, 2022. The purpose of the workshop was for DOE IP to further its understanding of the potential roles for and subsequent opportunities to incorporate AI into its activities. The workshop brought over 80 participants together from both the AI and isotope science communities. Participants contributed ideas through plenary talks, lightning talks, and breakout discussion sessions. The primary focus of all discussions was related to isotope production and processing. However, isotope enrichment, workforce development, and supply chain management were also discussed. This report documents the information presented and discussed at the workshop.
This project has developed new methods for the cyclotron production of medically relevant radionuclides 71 As and 119 Sb. Arsenic and antimony are chemically homologous elements (group 5A, also known as the pnictogens) that have radionuclides that are of considerable interest within nuclear medicine. Such radiopnictogens include the potentially therapeutic radionuclides 119 Sb (t 1/2 = 38 h) that decays with the emission of 24.5 low energy, high potency electrons per decay with little concomitant photon radiation and 77 As (t 1/2 = 39 h) that decays with average beta energy of 230 keV and diagnostic nuclides 71 As (t 1/2 = 65 h, 28% β+) and 72 As (t 1/2 = 26 h, 80% β+) for positron emission tomography (PET). This work has had major success developing new methods for the cyclotron production and radiochemical isolation of 71 As, supporting parallel developments for 119 Sb, and assessing the chemical similarities between these two homologous radionuclides. This project brought into collaboration two universities with complimentary skill sets, proficiencies, expertise, and facilities: the University of Wisconsin (UWisc) and the University of Missouri (Mizzou). Professors Ellison and Engle have experience in the small cyclotron production and radiochemical isolation of radionuclides, including 72 As and 119 Sb. Their recently developed metallurgic methods for fabricating cyclotron targets have great potential to expand and allow for the biomedical cyclotron production of long- lived, lower positron energy 71 As. Professors Hennkens and Jurisson have significant experience in the reactor production, radiochemical isolation, and biological functionalization of radioarsenic. Recent development of trithiol-based chelator molecules for functionalizing radioarsenic provide a platform for the investigation of the fundamental challenges of the promising low-energy-electron emitter, 119 Sb. Through their positions within their respective University’s graduate schools, the PIs and Co-Is effectively trained of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in nuclear and radiochemistry, sub-specialties specifically identified in the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science Isotope Program long-range plan. Annual laboratory research visits for students between UWisc and Mizzou provided essential broad-field experience and scientific networking that is critical for maintaining their path along the training pipeline to productive careers in isotope production. This research collaboration has provided significant benefits to the DOE University Isotope Network and radionuclide-using researchers around the country.
Domestic production of high specific activity 60 Co was halted after a target rupture in 2012 at the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR). The Isotope Program (IP) within the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science tasked a multilaboratory team of researchers and managers from Oak Ridge and Idaho National Laboratories with the redesign the radioisotope capsule. The objective of this effort was to create a more robust and reliable design, compared to the pre-2012 target. The team successfully completed this task to produce the DOE-IP cobalt (Co) production capsule design. Furthermore, 66 capsules were successfully fabricated by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and delivered to Idaho National Laboratory (INL) for irradiation in the ATR between January 2014 and October 2016. This paper describes the efforts of the team to prepare and disposition the two initial DOE-IP Co production capsules that were processed in March 2020. These efforts include performing accurate production predictions, experimentally validating predictions with assay measurements, shipping with the Orano-furnished Battelle Energy Alliance Research Reactor shipping package, and disassembling capsules at the isotope vendor site.
ORNL ships a wide variety of radioisotopes. Many of these are associated with the DOE Isotope Program and Office of Nuclear Materials Integration (ONMI) and can be shipped as DOT Type A quantities of material. The DOT Specification 6M Type B packaging previously used for many shipments at ORNL is no longer authorized. Most materials could be shipped in Type B packagings, but many of them can meet the requirements for shipping as Type A. As a result, ORNL is working with a packaging manufacturer to develop, test, and certify several Type A packagings. These include a 38 L (10 gal) Type A packaging primarily to be used for transport of Cf-252 sources, a 208 L (55 gal) Type A packaging primarily to be used for transport of americium/curium/lanthanide oxide materials recovered from high-burnup targets, and a Type A packaging for transport of irradiated actinium targets. These are being developed with consideration for both gamma and neutron shielding for contents reading up to 5000 R/h. (authors)
Not provided.
Enriched isotope standards are required for routine nuclear fuel burnup and other radiochemical analyses. In 2017 Idaho National Laboratory (INL) generated isotope standard solutions containing enriched 85 Rb, 136 Ce, 142 Nd, and 150 Nd. Oxide and chloride forms of each enriched isotope were obtained from the Oak Ridge Isotope Production program, dissolved, and quantified by isotope dilution-multi collector mass spectrometry. Quantification of the isotope solutions was performed independently by two separate laboratories at INL: the Analytical Laboratory (AL) at the Material and Fuels Complex (MFC) and the Ultra-trace Analytical Laboratory (UAL) in Idaho Falls. Concentration measurement results for all solutions and 142 Nd isotope ratio values reported by both laboratories are in quantitative agreement with each other, while isotope ratio values reported for 150 Nd are observed to have an apparent ~0.8% bias between the results of each laboratory. Data for 85 Rb/ 87 Rb isotope ratio values for UAL TIMS measurements and AL MC-ICP-MS measurements are in quantitative agreement with each other, while those of UAL MC-ICP-MS are observed to be much higher due to the existence of unidentified polyatomic interferences in the 84-88 m/z range for this instrument. Concentration and isotope ratio values for these isotope tracer solutions, along with detailed description of the analytical and data analysis methods utilized, are reported herein.
Dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) is used as a simulant for toxic nerve agents and pesticides, rendering the understanding of surface chemistry requisite to design effective materials for organophosphonate (catalytic) decomposition at room temperature. In this work, DMMP surface chemistry is studied on an iron oxide surface in a very well-defined environment using temperature-programmed reaction, isotopic labeling, scanning tunneling microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and density functional theory. DMMP, (CH 3 O) 2 P(O)(CH 3 ), dissociates to yield methoxy and methyl methylphosphonate, (CH 3 O)P(O) 2 (CH 3 ), on the surface at room temperature. At higher temperatures, dimethyl ether is formed via intramolecular reaction, followed by the formation of formaldehyde and methanol from adsorbed methoxy decomposition during temperature-programmed reaction. Ultimately, stochiometric combustion at 870 K produces CO, H 2 C=O, and CO 2 via reaction with lattice oxygen, with PO x remaining on the surface. Excess oxygen from the bulk is required to drive these higher temperature pathways. Neither hydrolysis nor a photoreaction is observed, when exposing the adsorbed DMMP to water or light above the band gap, respectively. No evolution of P-containing species is detected, indicating efficient trapping of this contaminant. The activity for DMMP decomposition at room temperature is reduced by the accumulation of PO x . However, a significant amount of reaction persists after multiple temperature-programmed reaction experiments.
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A new collaboration between the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Idaho State University, and Idaho National Laboratory builds the domestic workforce in isotope production and related science and technologies by conducting research and education programs related to photo-nuclear reactions. Workforce development was identified by the Department of Energy’s Office of Science in the Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (RENEW) program that seeks to engage underrepresented university students in isotope production activities. This collaboration includes coursework development, student training, and isotope production research utilizing photo-nuclear reactions at electron linear accelerators. Bremsstrahlung-weighted excitation functions and cross-sections will be measured and the use of nanomaterials to exploit kinematic recoil reactions will be investigated. Students will be hosted at the Idaho National Laboratory where mentors will provide opportunities to explore careers in nuclear science and technology. This presentation regards the ongoing progress of the research and education objectives of the collaboration that was performed under the Office of Science Isotopes Program under award number D000-22-2765.