Granted Patent B2

US 12,573,517 · App. 17/816,965 · Granted Mar 10, 2026

Inventors: Justin T. Cooper (Idaho Falls, ID); Ariana A. Foley (Los Alamos, NM); Mathew S. Snow (Idaho Falls, ID); Jessica L. Meiers (Idaho Falls, ID); Mathew T. Kinlaw (Idaho Falls, ID)

Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC

G21G1/12G21G1/001G21G2001/0094

Abstract

Claims (27)

1. A method for producing no carrier added 185 Ta, radionuclide, comprising:

irradiating a tungsten target material with a linear accelerator to produce one or more radionuclides including the 185 Ta;

dissolving the irradiated tungsten and the 185 Ta in one or more mineral acids to form an acidic solution consisting of the irradiated tungsten target material, one or more radionuclides including the 185 Ta, and the one or more mineral acids; and

selectively separating the one or more radionuclides including the 185 Ta:

from the irradiated tungsten target material; and

recovering a no carrier added 185 Ta radioisotope preparation with a specific activity of greater than 97%.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the irradiating comprises irradiating with a bremsstrahlung photon end-point energy of from about 15 MeV to about 50 MeV.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the irradiating comprises irradiating with a bremsstrahlung photon end-point energy of from about 20 MeV to about 30 MeV.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more mineral acids include nitric acid (HNO 3 ), hydrochloric acid (HCl), or hydrofluoric acid (HF).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more mineral acids comprises nitric acid (HNO 3 ) and hydrofluoric acid (HF).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tungsten target material is isotopically enriched.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tungsten target material is enriched in 186 W and the irradiating comprises irradiating with a bremsstrahlung photon end-point energy of less than about 22 MeV.

8. A method for producing a radioactive isotope, comprising:

irradiating a natural tungsten target material comprising one or more of 180 W, 182 W, 183 W, 184 W, and 186 W with a bremsstrahlung photon end-point energy of from about 22 MeV to about 26 MeV to produce 185 Ta;

dissolving the irradiated natural tungsten target material comprising the produced 185 Ta in one or more mineral acids to form an acidic solution comprising the 180 W, 182 W, 183 W, 184 W, and 186 W and the 185 Ta; and

separating the 185 Ta from the 180 W, 182 W, 183 W, 184 W, and 186 W irradiated within less than or equal to about 30 minutes after the irradiating; and

recovering a no carrier added 185 Ta radioisotope preparation with a specific activity of greater than 97%.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the irradiating is performed with a linear accelerator.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the irradiating is performed with a synchrotron.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more mineral acids is nitric acid and hydrofluoric acid in a ratio of 1:2 nitric acid: hydrofluoric acid.

12. A method for producing a radioactive isotope, comprising:

irradiating a tungsten target material exhibiting an elemental purity of about 99.95% with a bremsstrahlung photon end-point energy of about 22 MeV to produce 185 Ta, 184 Ta, 183 Ta, or a combination thereof;

dissolving the produced 185 Ta, 184 Ta, 183 Ta, or the combination thereof and the irradiated tungsten target material in nitric acid and hydrofluoric acid to form an acidic solution containing the 185 Ta, 184 Ta, 183 Ta, or combination thereof and the tungsten target material; and

separating the produced 185 Ta, 184 Ta, and 183 Ta from the tungsten target material; and

recovering a no carrier added 185 Ta radioisotope preparation with a specific activity of greater than 97%.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein a yield of the 185 Ta is about 90%.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the tungsten target material is a natural tungsten target material.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (18)