Machines. Technologies. Materials.
Vol. 19 (2025), Issue 8, pg(s) 292-295

TECHNOLOGIES

Obtaining molybdenum trioxide enriched with Mo–98 regenerated from spent Tc-99m generators

  • 1 Institute of Nuclear Physics, Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan

Abstract

The paper describes a technology for obtaining Mo-98 from waste from the production of industrial Tс-99m generators, followed by regeneration, purification and obtaining molybdenum trioxide enriched with molybdenum-98 for the purpose of reuse for the production of Tс-99m generators. Regeneration of molybdenum trioxide with Mo-98 from spent Tc-99m generators was carried out by the elution method in dynamic mode: aluminum oxide from industrial spent Tc-99m generators was loaded into the column and a solution of sulfuric acid (1 mol/l) was passed through the column at a rate of 2.0-2.5 ml/min.The purification of regenerated molybdenum trioxide with Mo-98 from possible radionuclide impurities and residues of sulfuric acid anions was carried out on an ion-exchange resin – anionite quaternary phosphonium base in Cl-form. Desorption of molybdenum from the solid phase of the sorbent was carried out with a solution of ammonium nitrate (1 mol/l) containing 0.01-0.05% hydrogen peroxide and 8-10% aqueous ammonia solution with an elution rate of 1 ml/min, while molybdenum was washed out with a yield of up to 80%.Using the emission spectral analysis method, it was determined that the mass fraction of metal impurities in the regenerated molybdenum trioxide enriched with Mo-98 complies with the requirements of Technical Specifications 95 641-79 “Molybdenum trioxide enriched with molybdenum-98″. During the neutron activation analysis of regenerated molybdenum trioxide enriched with Mo-98, only gamma spectra of the parent radionuclide Mo-99 with gamma lines of 180 keV, 740 keV and 780 keV and only the gamma spectrum of the daughter radionuclide Tc-99m with the gamma line of 140 keV were obtained, which proves the absence of any radionuclide impurities in the regenerated molybdenum trioxide.The developed technology for obtaining Mo-98 from spent Tc-99m generators, its subsequent regeneration and purification showed that regenerated and purified molybdenum trioxide enriched with molybdenum-98 can be used as a feedstock for the production of industrial Tc-99m generators.

Keywords

References

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