Speaker
Dr
Yutaka Miyamoto
(Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA))
Description
Production of 99Mo/99mTc generator using Szilard-Chalmers reaction
Y. Hatsukawa, K. Tsukada, K. Hashimoto,T. Sato,
M. Asai, and A. Toyoshima,
Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tokai, Ibaraki, JAPAN
We proposed and propel a 99Mo production project via the 100Mo(n,2n)99Mo reaction using fast neutrons from accelerator.(1,2) Only low specific radioactive 99Mo, however, can be obtained in this method. In our project, 99mTc would be extracted from low specific radioactive molybdenum irradiated target, and then technetium labeled compounds from the purified 99mTc will be synthesized and deliver to the end user. Although labeled technetium compounds would be available, small scale technetium generator is still required in medical facilities. In this paper, feasibility study of production of high specific radioactive 99Mo using Szilard-Chalmers reaction from molybdenum nanoparticle target with accelerator neutron reactions was carried out.
As neutron irradiation target, molybdenum nanoparticles were prepared by grinding with potassium chloride (KCl) powder, then pressed into a 10mm diameter disk. About 1.2 gram of the Mo/KCl target which contained about 100 mg molybdenum nanoparticles was irradiated with accelerator neutrons for 5 hours. After fast irradiation, the Mo/KCl target was dissolved in pure water, then solution and molybdenum nanoparticles were separated by centrifuge method. The solution contained recoiled 99Mo ion by fast neutron reactions was poured into alumina column. About 7% of 99Mo produced in the Mo/KCl target was absorbed onto the alumina column. Technetium-99m was obtained by pouring saline solution through the alumina column of immobilized 99Mo.
References
1) Y. Nagai and Y. Hatsukawa, J. Phys. Soc. Jpn, 78 (2009) 033201
2) Y. Nagai et al., J. Phys. Soc. Jpn, 82 (2013) 064201
Primary author
Dr
Yuichi Hatsukawa
(Japan Atomic Energy Agency)
Co-authors
Dr
Atsushi Toyoshima
(Japan Atomic Energy Agency)
Dr
Kazuaki Tsukada
(Japan Atomic Energy Agency)
Dr
Kazuyuki Hashimoto
(Japan Atomic Energy Agency)
Dr
Masato Asai
(Japan Atomic Energy Agency)
Dr
Tetsuya Sato
(Japan Atomic Energy Agency)
