A novel method for molybdenum-99/technetium-99m recovery via anodic carbonate dissolution of irradiated low-enriched uranium metal foil

M. Alex Brown; Artem V. Gelis; Jeffrey A. Fortner; James L. Jerden; Stan Wiedmeyer; George F. Vandegrift

doi:10.1021/ie503858j

A novel method for molybdenum-99/technetium-99m recovery via anodic carbonate dissolution of irradiated low-enriched uranium metal foil

M. Alex Brown, Artem V. Gelis, Jeffrey A. Fortner, James L. Jerden, Stan Wiedmeyer, George F. Vandegrift

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

A new method is presented here for digesting irradiated low-enriched uranium foil targets in alkaline carbonate media to recover ⁹⁹Mo. This method consists of the electrolytic dissolution of uranium foil in a sodium bicarbonate solution, followed by the precipitation of carbonate, base-insoluble fission products, activation products, and actinides with calcium oxide; most of the molybdenum, technetium, and iodine remain in solution. An electrochemical dissolver and mixing vessel were designed, fabricated, and tested for the processing of a full-sized irradiated foil under ambient pressure and elevated temperature. Over 92% of the fission-induced ⁹⁹Mo was recovered in a product solution that was compatible with an anion-exchange column for retaining molybdenum and iodine.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	712-719
Number of pages	8
Journal	Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research
Volume	54
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/ie503858j
State	Published - Jan 21 2015
Externally published	Yes

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title = "A novel method for molybdenum-99/technetium-99m recovery via anodic carbonate dissolution of irradiated low-enriched uranium metal foil",

abstract = "A new method is presented here for digesting irradiated low-enriched uranium foil targets in alkaline carbonate media to recover 99Mo. This method consists of the electrolytic dissolution of uranium foil in a sodium bicarbonate solution, followed by the precipitation of carbonate, base-insoluble fission products, activation products, and actinides with calcium oxide; most of the molybdenum, technetium, and iodine remain in solution. An electrochemical dissolver and mixing vessel were designed, fabricated, and tested for the processing of a full-sized irradiated foil under ambient pressure and elevated temperature. Over 92% of the fission-induced 99Mo was recovered in a product solution that was compatible with an anion-exchange column for retaining molybdenum and iodine.",

author = "Brown, {M. Alex} and Gelis, {Artem V.} and Fortner, {Jeffrey A.} and Jerden, {James L.} and Stan Wiedmeyer and Vandegrift, {George F.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2014 American Chemical Society.",

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T1 - A novel method for molybdenum-99/technetium-99m recovery via anodic carbonate dissolution of irradiated low-enriched uranium metal foil

AU - Brown, M. Alex

AU - Gelis, Artem V.

AU - Fortner, Jeffrey A.

AU - Jerden, James L.

AU - Wiedmeyer, Stan

AU - Vandegrift, George F.

PY - 2015/1/21

Y1 - 2015/1/21

N2 - A new method is presented here for digesting irradiated low-enriched uranium foil targets in alkaline carbonate media to recover 99Mo. This method consists of the electrolytic dissolution of uranium foil in a sodium bicarbonate solution, followed by the precipitation of carbonate, base-insoluble fission products, activation products, and actinides with calcium oxide; most of the molybdenum, technetium, and iodine remain in solution. An electrochemical dissolver and mixing vessel were designed, fabricated, and tested for the processing of a full-sized irradiated foil under ambient pressure and elevated temperature. Over 92% of the fission-induced 99Mo was recovered in a product solution that was compatible with an anion-exchange column for retaining molybdenum and iodine.

AB - A new method is presented here for digesting irradiated low-enriched uranium foil targets in alkaline carbonate media to recover 99Mo. This method consists of the electrolytic dissolution of uranium foil in a sodium bicarbonate solution, followed by the precipitation of carbonate, base-insoluble fission products, activation products, and actinides with calcium oxide; most of the molybdenum, technetium, and iodine remain in solution. An electrochemical dissolver and mixing vessel were designed, fabricated, and tested for the processing of a full-sized irradiated foil under ambient pressure and elevated temperature. Over 92% of the fission-induced 99Mo was recovered in a product solution that was compatible with an anion-exchange column for retaining molybdenum and iodine.

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A novel method for molybdenum-99/technetium-99m recovery via anodic carbonate dissolution of irradiated low-enriched uranium metal foil

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