Skip to main content
Log in

Experimental cross section evaluation for innovative 99Mo production via the (α,n) reaction on 96Zr target

  • Published:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The high-specific activity 99Mo accelerator-based production, via the (α,n) reaction on 96Zr-enriched target, has been investigated in the present work. The excitation function measurement has been performed in the energy range 8–34 MeV at the ARRONAX facility, using the well-known stacked foils technique on natural zirconium as target. A general good agreement in the cross section trend has been observed, once compared to former measurements. A different (i.e. higher) peak value and a shift of about 2 MeV towards larger energies have however been found. Assuming a fully enriched 96Zr target irradiated by an α-beam at suitable energy (E = 25 MeV), the 99Mo production yield has thus been estimated. At last the alternative production routes, based on the 96Zr(α,n)99Mo and 100Mo(p,x)99Mo/99mTc reactions, are compared.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Eckelman WC (2013) JACC Cardiovasc Imaging 2:364–368

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Pillai MRA, Dash A, Knapp FF (2013) J Nucl Med 54:313–323

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. OECD NEA (2010) The supply of medical radioisotopes: review of potential molybdenum-99/technetium-99m production technologies. OECD NEA, http://www.oecd-nea.org/med-radio/reports/Med-Radio-99Mo-Prod-Tech.pdf

  4. Gagnon K, Bénard F, Kovacs M, Ruth TJ, Schaffer P, Wilson JS, McQuarrie SA (2011) Nucl Med Biol 38:907–916

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Esposito J, Vecchi G, Pupillo G, Taibi A, Uccelli L, Boschi A, Gambaccini M (2013) Evaluation of 99Mo and 99mTc productions based on a high-performance cyclotron. Sci Technol Nucl Install. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/972381

  6. Richards VN, Mebrahtu E, Lapi SE (2013) Nucl Med Biol 40:939–945

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Naik H, Suryanarayana SV, Jagadeesan KC, Thakare SV, Joshi PV, Nimje VT, Mittal KC, Goswami A, Venugopal V, Kailas S (2013) J Radioanal Nucl Chem 295:807–816

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. IAEA (2013) Nuclear energy series no. NF-T-5.4, Non-HEU production technologies for Molybdenum-99 and Technetium-99m, IAEA, Vienna. http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/Pub1589_web.pdf

  9. Ruth T (2009) Nature 457:536–537

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Qaim SM (2012) Radiochim Acta 100:635–651

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Uccelli L, Boschi A, Pasquali M, Duatti A, Di Domenico G, Pupillo G, Esposito J, Giganti M, Taibi A, Gambaccini M (2013) Influence of the generator in-growth time on the final radiochemical purity and stability of 99mTc radiopharmaceuticals, Sci Technol Nucl Install http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/379283

  12. Haddad F, Ferrer L, Guertin A, Carlier T, Michel N, Barbet J, Chatal JF (2008) Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 35:1377–1387

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. NuDat 2.6 database (2013) National Nuclear Data Center (NNDC), Brookhaven. http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/nudat2/. Accessed April 2013

  14. Chowdhury DP, Pal S, Saha SK, Gangadharan S (1995) Nucl Instrum Methods B 103:261–266

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Fitzgerald J et al. (2009) FitzPeaks gamma analysis and calibration software, http://www.jimfitz.demon.co.uk/fitzpeak.htm

  16. IAEA (2001) IAEA-TECDOC-1211, Charged particle cross-section database for medical radioisotope production: diagnostic radioisotopes and monitor reactions, IAEA, Vienna. http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/te_1211_prn.pdf

  17. Ziegler JF, The stopping and range of ions in matter (SRIM). http://www.srim.org. Accessed April 2013

  18. El-Kolaly MT (1993) J Radioanal Nucl Chem 170(2):293–298

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Saraswathy P, Sarkar SK, Patel RR, Arora SS, Narasimhan DVS (1998) Radiochim Acta 83(2):97–102

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Monroy-Guzman F, Diaz-Archundia LV, Hernandez-Cortes S (2008) J Braz Chem Soc 19(3):380–388

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Monroy-Guzman F, Rivero Gutierrez T, Lopez Malpica IZ, Hernandez Cortes S, Rojas Nava P, Vazquez Maldonado JC, Vazquez A (2012) Appl Radiat Isotopes 70:103–111

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Chakravarty R, Ram R, Dash A, Pillai MRA (2012) Nucl Med Biol 39:916–922

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Zykov MP et al (2001) Radiochemistry 43(3):297–300

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Chattopadhyay S, Das MK (2008) Appl Radiat Isotopes 66(10):1295–1299

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Celler A, Hou X, Bénard F, Ruth T (2011) Phys Med Biol 56:5469–5484

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Hou X, Celler A, Grimes J, Benard F, Ruth T (2012) Phys Med Biol 57:1499–1515

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Authors would like to thank Charlotte Duchemin and Thomas Sounalet (PhD students at ARRONAX facility) and Dr. Paolo Cardarelli (University and INFN of Ferrara) for their suggestions and support. This work has been performed in collaboration between INFN and GIP ARRONAX, thanks to an Erasmus Placement funds that Gaia Pupillo spent at ARRONAX from April to August 2013.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gaia Pupillo.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Pupillo, G., Esposito, J., Gambaccini, M. et al. Experimental cross section evaluation for innovative 99Mo production via the (α,n) reaction on 96Zr target. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 302, 911–917 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-014-3321-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-014-3321-9

Keywords

Navigation