Abstract
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) operates the Isotope Enrichment Facility for the purpose of providing enriched stable isotopes, selected radioactive isotopes (including the actinides), and isotope-related materials and services for use in various research applications. ORNL is responsible for isotope enrichment and the distribution of approximately 225 nongaseous stable isotopes from 50 multi-isotopic elements. Many enriched isotope products are of prime importance in the fabrication of nuclear targets and the subsequent production of special radionuclides. State-of-the-art techniques to achieve special isotopic, chemical, and physical requirements are performed at ORNL. This report describes the status and capabilities of the Isotope Enrichment Facility and the Isotope Research Materials Laboratory as well as emphasizing potential advancements in enrichment capabilities.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 45-50 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment |
Volume | 334 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 15 1993 |
Externally published | Yes |
Funding
The IEP was initiated as a totally funded program sponsored by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) - the predecessor to the DOE. Emphasis was on R&D of EMIS technology as well as advancement of new and improved products to be made available to government research institutions . As production increased, demands for these new materials expanded, and isotopes were sold to nongovernment, domestic research institutions with revenues returned to the U.S. Treasury . A loan program was established to make materials available for nondestructive experiments for DOE or other institutions where the research was of interest to DOE. Subsequently, sales distribution was expanded to include industrial institutions and foreign users, and the revenues were returned to the program to offset production cost . Prices for isotopes were established to recover the full cost of production at the time the enrichment was performed. DOE funding was provided to support R&D activities, cover capital purchases and facility upgrading, and underwrite the production, loan, and distribution program. Current financial support for all government isotope activities in the United States is provided by a revolving fund that was established by the U.S. Congress in 1989 . All costs incurred, including capital purchases, facility upgrades, R&D, and compliance issues, as well as direct production costs, are supported by this fund. Revenues from all isotope materials and services are returned to the revolving fund . Naturally, under these conditions, emphasis is placed on the production of products that have commercial applications and produce high revenue. At the time the revolving fund was instituted, DOE consolidated all its isotope activities under one program, the Isotope Production and Distribution Program (IPDP), and founded OIPD to provide oversight responsibilities for these activities . OIPD reviewed all of its operations with regard to capability to produce sufficient revenue to offset operating cost, age, and condition of facilities, and liability associated with continued operation. To maintain a viable revolving fund, major changes were initiated that involved realigning and consolidating a number of activities, terminating those activities that were determined to be a liability, and establishing new pricing policies for stable isotopes and isotope-related materials and services . At ORNL, a number of radioactive isotope operations were curtailed or moved to other DOE laboratories, IRML activities were severely reduced, the Isotope distribution Office (IDO) was consolidated in the IEF for efficiency, and the IEF continued enrichments at a reduced level. New pricing policies were established, and the loan program was replaced by a lease arrangement.