DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH-DENSITY U/AL DISPERSION PLATES FOR MO-99 PRODUCTION USING ATOMIZED URANIUM POWDER

Abstract

Uranium metal particle dispersion plates have been proposed as targets for Molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) production to improve the radioisotope production efficiency of conventional low enriched uranium targets. In this study, uranium powder was produced by centrifugal atomization, and miniature target plates containing uranium particles in an aluminum matrix with uranium densities up to 9 g-U/cm(3) were fabricated. Additional heat treatment was applied to convert the uranium particles into UAlx compounds by a chemical reaction of the uranium particles and aluminum matrix. Thus, these target plates can be treated with the same alkaline dissolution process that is used for conventional UAL(x) dispersion targets, while increasing the uranium density in the target plates