INTRODUCTION: As the use of metallic radionuclides increases, so does the demand for a simple production method. In this study, we demonstrated an in situ target processing concept for automated metallic radionuclide production without the use of any robotic device. METHODS: An alumina ceramic vessel for a vertical irradiation system was designed and developed. The ceramic vessel was evaluated by the production of Zr-89 using an yttrium powder target. The irradiated Y was dissolved remotely in HCl in the ceramic vessel and transferred as a solution to a hotcell through a Teflon tube. The crude Zr-89 was then purified by an automated apparatus. The Zr-89 was eluted with 100 μL of oxalic acid (solution) as the final product. RESULTS: The ceramic vessel gave a sufficient yield of Zr-89 (57±11MBq/μAh), showed good operability, and could be reused up to 10 times. With nominal irradiation (10μA×2h) in ~90 μL, the product (~940MBq) was obtained with >99.9% radionuclidic purity. CONCLUSION: The combination of the ceramic vessel and vertical irradiation has great potential for the remote production of various metallic radionuclides.
INTRODUCTION: As the use of metallic radionuclides increases, so does the demand for a simple production method. In this study, we demonstrated an in situ target processing concept for automated metallic radionuclide production without the use of any robotic device. METHODS: An alumina ceramic vessel for a vertical irradiation system was designed and developed. The ceramic vessel was evaluated by the production of Zr-89 using an yttrium powder target. The irradiated Y was dissolved remotely in HCl in the ceramic vessel and transferred as a solution to a hotcell through a Teflon tube. The crude Zr-89 was then purified by an automated apparatus. The Zr-89 was eluted with 100 μL of oxalic acid (solution) as the final product. RESULTS: The ceramic vessel gave a sufficient yield of Zr-89 (57±11MBq/μAh), showed good operability, and could be reused up to 10 times. With nominal irradiation (10μA×2h) in ~90 μL, the product (~940MBq) was obtained with >99.9% radionuclidic purity. CONCLUSION: The combination of the ceramic vessel and vertical irradiation has great potential for the remote production of various metallic radionuclides.
Authors: Paul A Ellison; Hector F Valdovinos; Stephen A Graves; Todd E Barnhart; Robert J Nickles Journal: Appl Radiat Isot Date: 2016-10-13 Impact factor: 1.513