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US 2025/0109035 A1Published application
Methods for the Purification of Molybdenum-99 with Phase Transfer Agents
AssigneeAbilene Christian University
InventorsKim PAMPLIN, Diego ZOMETA
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Abstract
The present invention is directed towards methods for isolating molybdenum compounds from a mixture of fission products. The mixture of fission products may be extracted from a molten salt reactor system. Utilizing a phase transfer agent, the molybdenum compounds may be extracted from an aqueous solution into an organic solution, thereby isolating the molybdenum compound from the mixture of fission products. Molybdate may then be isolated from the resulting organic solution and provided to a generator to facilitate transformation into technitum-99m.
Claims22
A method for isolating molybdate from a mixture of fission products comprising:
- introducing the mixture of fission products, including a molybdenum compound and a hydroxide source, to a first aqueous solution to produce a fission product aqueous solution;
- wherein the hydroxide source reacts with the fission products to produce fission product salts in the fission product aqueous solution;
- wherein the hydroxide source reacts with the molybdenum compound to produce a molybdate salt in the fission product aqueous solution;
- contacting an organic solution comprising a phase transfer agent (PTA) with the fission product aqueous solution;
- wherein the PTA is configured to selectively react with the molybdate salt to produce a PTA-molybdate complex in the organic solution;
- isolating the organic solution from the fission product aqueous solution;
- and
- eluting the organic solution to isolate the molybdate from the PTA-molybdate complex.
5 more elements
A method for isolating molybdenum from a mixture of fission products comprising:
- reacting a mixture of fission products, including molybdenum hexafluoride, with an alkali hydroxide compound in a first aqueous solution;
- wherein the mixture of fission products reacts with the alkali hydroxide compound to produce fission product salts;
- wherein the molybdenum hexafluoride reacts with the alkali hydroxide compound to produce a molybdate salt;
- adjusting a pH of the first aqueous solution by addition of an acid;
- introducing an organic solution comprising a phase transfer agent (PTA) into the first aqueous solution;
- wherein the PTA is configured to be reactive with the molybdate salt and be nonreactive with other fission product salts;
- agitating the organic solution and the first aqueous solution;
- wherein the molybdate salt reacts with the PTA to produce a PTA-molybdate complex that is dissolved in the organic solution;
- separating the organic solution from the first aqueous solution;
- feeding the organic solution through a column comprising a sorbent configured to absorb the PTA-molybdate complex;
- washing the sorbent with an organic solvent;
- wherein the PTA-molybdate complex dissociates upon washing, such that molybdate is eluted off the sorbent;
- and
- collecting the eluted molybdate in a generator.
11 more elements
A method for isolating molybdenum from a mixture of fission products produced by a molten salt reactor system comprising:
- producing the mixture of fission products in a molten salt following fission of nuclear fuel in a reactor of the molten salt reactor system;
- wherein the mixture of fission products comprises a molybdenum compound;
- circulating the molten salt comprising the mixture of fission products to an extraction system;
- extracting the mixture of fission products from the molten salt;
- after extracting, dissolving the mixture of fission products in an aqueous solution including a hydroxide source;
- wherein the molybdenum compound reacts with the hydroxide source to produce a molybdate salt in the aqueous solution;
- introducing an organic solution comprising a phase transfer agent (PTA) to the aqueous solution;
- wherein the PTA is configured to selectively react with the molybdate salt to produce a PTA-molybdate compound in the organic solution;
- isolating the organic solution from the aqueous solution;
- and
- eluting the organic solution to isolate molybdate from the PTA-molybdate compound.
8 more elements
A system for isolating molybdenum from a mixture of fission products produced by a molten salt reactor system comprising:
- a fuel salt system configured to circulate an irradiated fueled molten salt comprising dissolved fission products through a molten salt loop of the molten salt reactor system including an access vessel, a reactor, and a heat exchanger;
- and
- an extraction system fluidly coupled to the access vessel along the molten salt loop, the extraction system operable to sparge fission products from the irradiated fueled molten salt into a carboy;
- a purification system configured to isolate a molybdenum compound from the mixture of fission products in the carboy comprising;
- the carboy including the mixture of fission products and a hydroxide source in an aqueous solution;
- an organic solution including a phase transfer agent (PTA) configured to selectively react with the molybdenum compound;
- a first solution created by combining the aqueous solution of the carboy with the organic solution;
- wherein the PTA extracts the molybdenum compound from the mixture of fission products into the organic solution;
- a separatory funnel configured to separate the organic solution into an extraction cartridge and the aqueous solution into a waste;
- wherein the extraction cartridge is configured to isolate molybdate from the organic solution;
- and
- a generator configured to store the molybdate.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.