IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,284,748
Granted Patent B2
US 12,284,748 · App. 16/944,759 · Granted Apr 22, 2025

Target assembly comprising a fission product capturing layer on a fissile target substrate

Inventors: Samuel S. Morrison (Richland, WA); Lance R. Hubbard (Richland, WA); Nicolas Uhnak (Kennewick, WA); Bruce K. McNamara (Kennewick, WA); Gabriel B. Hall (Richland, WA)
Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
H05H6/00G21C3/42G21G1/02G21C3/20G21C21/02G21C23/00G21G1/001G21G2001/0047G21G2001/0068G21G2001/0094
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,284,748
App. No.
16/944,759
Granted
Apr 22, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Fissile target materials are provided. The fissile target materials can include a target substrate and a capturing layer operably interfacing with at least one surface of the target substrate. Fission fissile target materials are also provided that can include a target substrate comprising at least one fissile atom and a capturing layer operably interfacing with at least one surface of the target substrate. The capturing layer can include at least one fission product.

Claims (12)

1. A fissile target material of a nuclear reaction, the fissile target material comprising:

a target substrate, wherein the target substrate comprises a fissile target material including uranium;

a first capturing layer operably interfacing with a surface of the target substrate, the first capturing layer being of a first composition and configured to capture at least one of a first set of predetermined nuclear reaction fission products generated by irradiation of the fissile target material;

a second capturing layer operably interfacing with a surface of the first capturing layer, the second capturing layer being of a second composition and configured to capture at least one of a second set of predetermined nuclear reaction fission products generated by irradiation of the fissile target material, wherein the first composition comprises a different material than the second composition and the first set of nuclear reaction fission products are different from the second set of nuclear reaction fission products; and

wherein the interface between the target substrate and the first capturing layer is configured to allow for the first capturing layer to be removed from the target substrate after irradiation.

2. The fissile target material of claim 1 wherein the first capturing layer comprises a metal.

3. The fissile target material of claim 1 wherein the first capturing layer comprises V.

4. The fissile target material of claim 1 wherein in at least one cross section, the thickness of the fissile target material is from 12 μm to 40 μm.

5. The fissile target material of claim 1 wherein in at least one cross section, the thickness of the target substrate is from 3 μm to 5 μm.

6. The fissile target material of claim 1 wherein in at least one cross section, the thickness of either or both of the first or second capturing layers is from 9 μm to 35 μm.

7. The fissile target material of claim 6 wherein the thickness of the first capturing layer is greater than 9 μm.

8. The fissile target material of claim 1 wherein the interface between the first capturing layer and the second capturing layer is configured to allow for the second capturing layer to be removed from the first capturing layer.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 3, 2021
From: MORRISON, SAMUEL S.; HUBBARD, LANCE R.; UHNAK, NICOLAS; MCNAMARA, BRUCE K.; HALL, GABRIEL B.
To: BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE
Reel/Frame 058285/0390 →
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded Oct 29, 2020
From: BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE, PACIFIC NORTHWEST DIVISION
To: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Reel/Frame 054204/0811 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62880746 · Jul 31, 2019
Related Publication 20210035699A1 · Feb 4, 2021
References Cited (25)
US 3088892A · Cain · 1963 [cited by examiner]
US 3669832A · Boettcher · 1972 [cited by examiner]
US 3753854A · Krauth · 1973 [cited by examiner]
US 3940312A · Van Lierde · 1976 [cited by examiner]
US 4022660A · Johnson · 1977 [cited by examiner]
US 4839133A · Vandergrift et al. · 1989 [cited by applicant]
US 6160862A · Wiencek et al. · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 20090129533A1 · Kuczynski · 2009 [cited by examiner]
US 20110194662A1 · Nolen, Jr. et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20190043625A1 · Hackett et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2019104424 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
WO WOPCTUS2020044543 · 2022 [cited by applicant]
Li , “Treatment and Disposal of the Radioactive Graphite Waste of High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor Spent Fuel”, No. IAEA-TECDOC-1790, 2016. (Year: 2016). [cited by examiner]
Killeen, “Experimental Data on PCI and PCMI within the IFPE Database”, In Proceedings of Seminar on Pellet-clad Interaction in Water Reactor Fuels, OECD-NEA, Cadarache, France, Mar. 2004, p. 1-18. (Year: 2004). [cited by examiner]
Paramonov, “PCI Risk Assessment Model”, In International Conference on Nuclear Engineering, vol. 49330, pp. 585-591. 2010. (Year: 2010). [cited by examiner]
WO PCT/US2020/044543 Search Rept., Dec. 31, 2020, Battelle Memorial Institute. [cited by applicant]
WO PCT/US2020/044543 Writ. Opin., Dec. 31, 2020, Battelle Memorial Institute. [cited by applicant]
Adelstein et a., “Molybdenum-99 for Medical Imaging”, Committee on State of Molybdenum-99 Production and Utilization and Progress Toward Eliminating use of Highly Enriched Uranium; Nat. Academies of Sci., Eng. & Med., 2… [cited by applicant]
Smaga et al. “Electroplating Fission-Recoil Barriers onto LEU-Metal Foils for 99Mo-Production Targets”, International Meeting on Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors, Oct. 1997, United States, 16 pages. [cited by applicant]
SRIM (Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter), “Download SRIM Software,” Accessed Mar. 22, 2018, at http://www.srim.org/SRIM/SRIMLEGL.htm, 2 pages. [cited by applicant]
Katalenich, “Production of Cerium Dioxide Microspheres by an Internal Gelation Sol-Gel Method”, Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology 82(3), 2017, United States, pp. 654-663. [cited by applicant]
Larijani et al., “Progress on the Chemical Separation of Fission Fragments from 236 Np Produced by Proton Irradiation of Natural Uranium Target”, Radiation Physics and Chemistry 140, 2017, United Kingdom, pp. 480-486. [cited by applicant]
O'Hara et al., “Nanoparticles and Thin Films for the Rapid Extraction and Assay of Alpha-Emitting Radionuclides and Radioiodine from Urine: Demonstration of a Novel Radiobioassay Method”, Health Physics vol. 101, No. 2,… [cited by applicant]
Wilbraham et al., “The Effect of Hydrogen Peroxide on Uranium Oxide Films on 316L Stainless Steel”, Journal of Nuclear Materials vol. 464, 2015, Netherlands, pp. 86-96. [cited by applicant]
Wu et al., “Synthesis of Colloidal Uranium-Dioxide Nanocrystals”, Journal of the American Chemical Society vol. 128, No. 51, 2006, United States, pp. 16522-16523. [cited by applicant]