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US 5,596,611 AGranted
Medical isotope production reactor
AssigneeThe Babcock & Wilcox Company
InventorRussell M. Ball
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Medical isotopes are produced using a lower power, low cost nuclear reactor which permits the use of all the fission products produced in the reactor. Medical isotopes such as Molybdenum-99 are produced in a reactor operating at a power of 100 to 500 kilowatts.
Claims16
A method of collecting a medical isotope from a fission product produced in a nuclear reactor, the method comprising:
- providing a reactor having a 100 to 300 kilowatt rating;
- using a uranyl nitrate solution as a homogeneous fissionable material in the reactor, the fissionable material producing fission products including Molybdenum-99 in the uranyl nitrate solution;
- passing a portion of the uranyl nitrate solution from the reactor to and through a column of alumina for fixing the fission products including Molybdenum-99 to alumina in the column;
- adding acid to the portion of the uranyl nitrate solution to achieve a pH of about 2 to about 5;
- passing the portion of the uranyl nitrate solution at pH of about 2 to about 5, back into the reactor;
- removing the fixed fission products from the alumina column through elution with a hydroxide;
- and
- precipitating the resulting elutriant with alpha-benzoinoxime for collecting the Molybdenum-99 as the medical isotope.
5 more elements
A system for collecting a medical isotope from a fission product produced in a nuclear reactor, comprising:
- a vessel containing a selected quantity of uranyl nitrate solution as a homogeneous fissionable material for producing fission products including Molybdenum-99 in the uranyl nitrate solution at a 100 to 300 kilowatt power rating;
- at least one alumina column, the fission products including Molybdenum-99 being fixable to alumina in the column;
- means for directing a portion of the solution through the alumina column and thereafter back to the vessel;
- means for adding acid to the portion of the solution before it is returned to the vessel and between the column and the vessel;
- means for supplying a hydroxide through the column for eluting the fission products fixed to the alumina;
- means for receiving the eluted fission products;
- and
- means for precipitating Molybdenum-99 from the fission products using alpha-benzoinoxime in the means for receiving the eluted fission products.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.