Systems and methods for producing actinium-225

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022199276-A1
Application number	US-202017602056-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 6, 2020
Priority date	Apr 8, 2019
Publication date	Jun 23, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to the production of actinium-225. In one aspect, a target is irradiated with a beam of deuterons to generate a beam of neutrons. A radium-226 target is irradiated with the beam of neutrons to generate radium-225.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
(a) irradiating a target with a beam of deuterons to generate a beam of neutrons; and (b) irradiating a radium-226 target with the beam of neutrons to generate radium-225.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the radium-226 reacts to form the radium-225 by a (n, 2n) reaction.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
allowing at least some of the radium-225 to decay to actinium-225 over a period of time.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the radium-225 decays to actinium-225 by beta decay.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the period of time is about 15 days.

6 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
separating the actinium-225 from unreacted radium-226 and the radium-225.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein after the separating, the actinium-225 does not include any actinium-227.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein after the separating, the actinium-225 consists essentially of actinium-225.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein irradiating the radium-226 target occurs over a period of time of at least 1 day.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the target is disposed proximate the radium-226 target.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the target is positioned about 0.5 millimeters to 10 millimeters from the radium-226 target.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the target and the radium-226 target are not in contact.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the target comprises a beryllium target, and wherein the beryllium target is about 2 millimeters to 8 millimeters thick.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the radium-226 target is about 1 millimeter to 10 millimeters thick.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein deuterons in the beam of deuterons have an energy of about 25 MeV to 55 MeV.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein irradiating the radium-226 target with the beam of neutrons does not generate any actinium-227 or any species that decays to actinium-227.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the beam of deuterons is generated using a cyclotron.

18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the beam of neutrons has a flux of about 1×10{circumflex over ( )}10 neutrons/cm2/sec to 3×10{circumflex over ( )}12 neutrons/cm2/sec.

19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein neutrons in the beam of neutrons have an energy of about 10 MeV or greater.

20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the radium-226 target is not positioned in a nuclear reactor.

21 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the neutrons are not thermal neutrons generated in a nuclear reactor.

22 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the neutrons are not generated by a spallation source.

23 . A method comprising:
(a) irradiating a target with a beam of deuterons to generate a beam of neutrons, the beam of neutrons having a flux of about 1×10{circumflex over ( )}10 neutrons/cm2/sec to 3×10{circumflex over ( )}12 neutrons/cm2/sec and neutrons in the beam of neutrons have an energy of about 10 MeV or greater; (b) irradiating a radium-226 target with the beam of neutrons to generate radium-225; (c) allowing at least some of the radium-225 to decay to actinium-225 over a period of time; and (d) separating the actinium-225 from unreacted radium-226 and the radium-225.

24 . A method comprising:
(a) irradiating a first target with a beam of deuterons to generate a beam of neutrons; and (b) irradiating a second target selected from a group of targets consisting of a radium-226 target, a zinc target, a molybdenum target, a phosphorus target, a hafnium target, a titanium target, and a tantalum target with the beam of neutrons.

Assignees

• Univ California

Inventors

• Bernstein Lee
• Batchelder Jon
• Morrell Jonathan T
• Voyles Andrew

Classifications

• G21G1/06 Primary

  by neutron irradiation · CPC title

• G21G2001/0089

  Actinium · CPC title

• G21G1/10

  by bombardment with electrically charged particles (irradiation devices G21K5/00) · CPC title

• G21G1/001 Primary

  Recovery of specific isotopes from irradiated targets · CPC title

• H05H6/00

  Targets for producing nuclear reactions (supports for targets or objects to be irradiated G21K5/08 {; preparation of tritium C01B4/00; targets, e.g. pellets for fusion reactions by laser or charged particles beam injection H05H1/22}) · CPC title