A target for mo-99 manufacture and method of manufacturing such a target

A method of manufacturing particles of UO2 and CeO2 for a porous matrix of a target for use in the manufacture of 99Mo, the method comprising:

• infiltrating a solution of uranyl nitrate and cerium nitrate into a polymer template;
• precipitating uranium oxide and uranium hydroxide and cerium oxide and cerium hydroxide by introducing an alkali chemical to the uranyl nitrate and cerium nitrate infiltrated template;
• converting the uranium oxide and uranium hydroxide, and cerium oxide and cerium hydroxide, to U3O8 and CeO2 respectively and concurrently removing the template, by heating the infiltrated template;
• and
• reducing the U3O8 and CeO2 to UxCe1-xO2 via heating in a reducing atmosphere, where x is the initial molar mixing ratio of uranium and cerium.

A method of manufacturing particles of UO2 for a porous matrix of a target for use in the manufacture of 99Mo, the method comprising:

• creating a template comprising polymer beads;
• infiltrating the polymer beads of the template with UO2;
• and
• calcinating the infiltrated polymer beads of the template.