STRONTIUM-89 RADIOISOTOPE PRODUCTION PROCESS Russian patent published in 2000 - IPC

FIELD: nuclear power engineering. SUBSTANCE: process includes irradiation of liquid nuclear fuel which is, essentially, aqueous solution of uranium- uranyl-sulfate (UO₂SO₄) salts, in nuclear reactor followed by removal of target radioisotope from fuel. Fission fragments are produced as result of irradiation by neutrons in fuel solution; one of these fragments, krypton- 89, being precursor of strontium-89 in fission-fragment disintegration chain with atomic mass 89, is separated from aqueous solution and accumulated in vacant space above liquid surface. Radioactive inert gases emitting from fuel are conveyed by means of helium, argon, or nitrogen to pre-cooling system where krypton-89 is cleaned from accompanying krypton-90 due to natural disintegration of the latter resulting in long- living radioisotope strontium-90. Then krypton-89 is conveyed to trapping system where it is cooled down to complete disintegration into target radioisotope strontium-89. Strontium-89 settled down in trapping system is sent for radiochemical cleaning to obtain target radioisotope strontium-89 of desired quality. EFFECT: improved capacity of process using research reactor with fuel solution and thermal spectrum of neutrons. 3 cl