A novel monolithic LEU foil target based on a PVD manufacturing process for 99Mo production via fission

• Published in: Applied radiation and isotopes 2016-12, Vol.118, p.290-296
• Main Authors: Hollmer, Tobias, Petry, Winfried
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cylindrical target; Irradiation target; Manufacturing method; Molybdenum 99
• ISSN: 0969-8043; 1872-9800
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2016.10.003

99Mo is the most widely used radioactive isotope in nuclear medicine. Its main production route is the fission of uranium. A major challenge for a reliable supply is the conversion from highly enriched uranium (HEU) to low enriched uranium (LEU). A promising candidate to realize this conversion is the cylindrical LEU irradiation target. The target consists of a uranium foil encapsulated between two coaxial aluminum cladding cylinders. This target allows a separate processing of the irradiated uranium foil and the cladding when recovering the 99Mo. Thereby, both the costs and the volume of highly radioactive liquid waste are significantly reduced compared to conventional targets. The presented manufacturing process is based on the direct coating of the uranium on the inside of the outer cladding cylinder. This process was realized by a cylindrical magnetron enhanced physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique. The method features a highly automated process, a good quality of the resulting uranium foils and a high material utilization. •The cylindrical LEU target provides an efficient way to produce 99Mo, the most widely used radioactive isotope in nuclear medicine worldwide.•The usage of this target can significantly reduce costs and the volume of highly radioactive liquid waste.•A novel manufacturing method for the cylindrical LEU targets is introduced, which is based on a PVD technique.•The method can be highly automated and features both a good quality of the resulting uranium layer and a high material utilization.