• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.49-53
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• 2001

A number of radionuclides of interest in nuclear medicine are short lived isotopes that emit only gamma ray. The most of all Dept. of Nuclear Medicine in the hospt. are using the $^{99}Mo-^{99m}Tc$ generator for elution of the short lived isotope $^{99m}TcO_4$. A $^{99}Mo-^{99m}Tc$ generator consists of an alumina column on which $^{99}Mo$ is bound. The parent isotope($^{99}Mo$ : half life 67 hr.) decays to its daughter $^{99m}TcO_4^-$ which is a different element with a shorter half-life. $^{99}Mo$ emitted 41-keV(1.3%), 141-keV(5.6%) 181-keV(6.6%) and 366-keV(1.5%) gamma rays. But $^{99m}TcO_4$ emitted only 140-keV gamma ray. We study about the gamma ray distribution around the $^{99}Mo$ generator. And obtained the result as follows ; 1. Total counted gamma ray from generator smaller in front side than back. 2. The gamma ray emitted from $^{99}Mo$ generator without $^{99m}TcO_4$ vial increased in the back side(Mo column posited side) 3. The gamma ray only from the $^{99m}TcO_4$ vial increased in the front side. 4. Apron can protect gamma ray above 60% of total radiation from the $^{99}Mo$ generator.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.613-623
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• 2016

Molybdenum-99 ($^{99}Mo$) is the most important isotope because its daughter isotope, technetium-99m ($^{99m}Tc$), has been the most widely used medical radioisotope for more than 50 years, accounting for > 80% of total nuclear diagnostics worldwide. In this review, radiochemical routes for the production of $^{99}Mo$, and the aspects for selecting a suitable process strategy are discussed from the historical viewpoint of $^{99}Mo$ technology developments. Most of the industrial-scale $^{99}Mo$ processes have been based on the fission of $^{235}U$. Recently, important issues have been raised for the conversion of fission $^{99}Mo$ targets from highly enriched uranium to low enriched uranium (LEU). The development of new LEU targets with higher density was requested to compensate for the loss of $^{99}Mo$ yield, caused by a significant reduction of $^{235}U$ enrichment, from the conversion. As the dramatic increment of intermediate level liquid waste is also expected from the conversion, an effective strategy to reduce the waste generation from the fission $^{99}Mo$ production is required. The mitigation of radioxenon emission from medical radioisotope production facilities is discussed in relation with the monitoring of nuclear explosions and comprehensive nuclear test ban. Lastly, the $^{99}Mo$ production process paired with the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute's own LEU target is proposed as one of the most suitable processes for the LEU target.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.7
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• pp.1517-1523
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• 2020

The widely used medical isotope technetium-99 m (^99mTc) is a daughter of Molybdenum-99 (⁹⁹Mo), which is mainly produced using dedicated research reactors from the nuclear fission of uranium-235 (²³⁵U). ^99mTc has been used for several decades, which covers about 80% of the all the nuclear diagnostics procedures. Recently, the instability of the supply has become an important topic throughout the international radioisotope communities. The aging of major ⁹⁹Mo production reactors has also caused frequent shutdowns. It has triggered movements to establish new research reactors for ⁹⁹Mo production, as well as the development of various ⁹⁹Mo production technologies. In this context, a new research reactor project was launched in 2012 in Korea. At the same time, the development of fission-based ⁹⁹Mo production process was initiated by Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) in 2012 in order to be implemented by the new research reactor. The KAERI process is based on the caustic dissolution of plate-type LEU (low enriched uranium) dispersion targets, followed by the separation and purification using a series of columns. The development of proper waste treatment technologies for the gaseous, liquid, and solid radioactive wastes also took place. The first stage of this process development was completed in 2018. In this paper, the results of the hot test production of fission ⁹⁹Mo using HANARO, KAERI's 30 MW research reactor, was described.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.1863-1870
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• 2023

Molybdenum-99 (⁹⁹Mo) is used for preparing Technetium-99 m (^99mTc), which is the most widely used isotope in nuclear medicine. In this work, a study for ⁹⁹Mo production based on a high-power electron accelerator has been performed as an alternative approach to produce ^99mTc. In this study, Monte Carlo MCNPX2.6 code has been used to examine a novel idea of simultaneous hybrid production of ⁹⁹Mo via both photoneutron and neutron capture reactions using an electron accelerator in heavy water tank. It is expected that this conceptual design including an arrangement of metallic plates of ¹⁰⁰Mo and ⁹⁸Mo produces total activity of 97.5 Ci at the end of 20-h continuous e-beam irradiation (30 MeV, 10 mA).

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1997.05a
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• pp.108-113
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• 1997

하나로(HANARO)를 이용하여 핵분열 방법으로 진단용 방사선원인 $^{99m}$ Tc의 모핵종인 Mo-99를 생산할 경우, HEU 및 LEU UO2 표적이 사용될 수 있다. 표적연료로서 HEU(93w/o $^{235}$ U)가 LEU(19.75w/o $^{235}$ U)에 비해 생성수율(Ci/gU)이 높게 나타났으며 제품의 질(quality)을 좌우하는 비방사능(Ci$^{99}$Mo/gMo)은 같게 나타났다. HEU가 같은 Mo-99의 방사능량을 얻기 위해서는 우라늄 장전량이 적어지므로 폐기물측면과 용해측면에서 이득이나 농축도를 고려하면, 큰 이득이 발생하지 않으므로 하나로에 LEU를 사용하는 것도 타당하다 할 수 있다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1997.10a
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• pp.177-182
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• 1997

하나로(HANARO)에서 Mo-99을 생산하기 위한 LEU(Low Enriched Uranium) 표적 설계를 하였다. 표적길이 및 조사위치에 따른 Mo-99의 생성수율(Ci $^{99}$Mo/gU) 변화를 분석하였으며, 표적 설계를 위하여 표적 두께, 반경크기, 밀도, 연료물질등을 채택하여 이들에 대한 민감도 분석을 수행하였으며, 수행결과 생성수율에 가장 영향을 미치는 설계변수는 표적 두께와 밀도로 나타났다. 표적 연료로 어떤 물질을 선택하던 거의 같은 생성수율을 나타내므로 핵적으로는 같은 성능을 나타냄을 확인하였다. 또한 열수력학 조건과 연간생산량을 만족하는 표적 핵연료 집합체 설계가 가능함을 확인하였다.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.36-44
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• 2003

The present work relates to the recovery of dissolved Mo from spent mandrel dissolving acid solution by injecting ammonia gas. In order to optimize the process parameters for high yield and high purity of recovered Mo products, a bench scale and a pilot scale experiments were carried out. As a result, more than 99.5% of Mo in spent acid was recovered in the form of ammonium molybdate(4MoO$_3$.$2NH_3$.$H_2$O). The purity of Mo products recovered was higher than 99.5%. In addition, the mother liquor, residual solution after precipitation and filtration of ammonium molybdate solid particles, could be utilized as fertilizers.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.48-52
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• 2013

Purpose: The Molybdenum which is the raw material of $^{99}Mo-^{99m}Tc$ generator is produced from the nuclear reactor. However, output has dwindled as the two nuclear reactors supplying the bulk of radioactive material-one in Chalk River, Ontario and the other in Petten, the Netherlands-have been closed for repairs or maintenance. This resulted in the enhancement of its price. So $^{99}Mo-^{99m}Tc$ generator using$(n,{\gamma})^{99}Mo$ is developed by Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI). Medicinal availability of this generator is evaluated in this study. Materials and Methods: The radioactivity of $^{99m}Tc$ eluted in generator 1, 2 and 3 unit developed by KAERI was measured. The quality control test of generator such as appearance test, pH test, LAL test, sterility test, chemical impurity (Al) test and radiochemical purity test were performed. Planar and SPECT/CT image sof SD rat (6 weeks, Female) at 2 hr after injection of $^{99m}Tc-HDP$ (hydroxymethylenediphosphonate) (TechneScan HDP, Malinckrodt Medical, Dutch) and $^{99m}Tc-DPD$ (diphosphono-1, 2-propanedicarboxylicacid) (TECEOS, CIS bio international, France) which were labeled with $^{99m}Tc$ eluted in KAERI and commercial generator (40.5 GBq, Malinckrodt Medical, Dutch) using SPECT/CT camera (Symbia, Siemense, Germany) were obtained respectively. Results: The mean radioactivity of $^{99m}Tc$ elution generator 1unit was 4.18 GBq (113 mCi), generator 2 unit was 4.73 GBq (128 mCi) and generator 3 unit was 3.33 GBq (90 mCi). All quality control tests were within normal limit except pyrogentest. Pyrogen test was positive. Planar and SPECT/CT images of rat injected $^{99m}Tc-HDP$ which was labeled with $^{99m}Tc$ eluted in commercial generator show increased uptake in bone, stomach and bowl. Planar images show increased uptake in liver and bone in case of $^{99m}Tc-DPD$. However, images of rat injected $^{99m}Tc-HDP$ and $^{99m}Tc-DPD$ which were labelled $^{99m}Tc$ eluted in KAERI generator show increased uptake in bone, liver and spleen. Conclusion: If shortcoming is removed such as pyrogen and liver appearance, domestic role as an alternative generator is thought to be able to fill and to secure the national medical service by supplying $^{99m}Tc$ when the supply of $^{99m}Tc$ be comes short.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.155-161
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• 2015

Technetium-99m (^99mTc) is an important, short-lived decay product of molybdenum-99 (⁹⁹Mo), and it is considered the backbone of the modern nuclear diagnostic procedures. Since fission of ²³⁵U is the main source of production of ⁹⁹Mo, either highly-enriched uranium (HEU) targets or low-enriched uranium (LEU) targets are irradiated in the research reactors. The use of LEU targets is being promoted by the international community to avoid the proliferation issues linked with the use of HEU. In order to define the waste management strategy at the planning stage of establishment of an LEU based ⁹⁹Mo production facility, the impact of the use of LEU targets on the radioactive waste stream of the ⁹⁹Mo production facility was analyzed. Because the volume of uranium waste is estimated to increase six times, the use of high uranium density targets and the utilization of hot isostatic pressing were recommended to reduce the increased waste volume from the use of LEU based targets.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.297-303
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• 2019

The nuclear medicine department of a domestic medical institution uses $^{99m}TcI$, a radionuclide, from $^{99}Mo/^{99m}TcI$ Generator, to inject radioactive drugs into patients. Among the expired generators, imported from foreign countries, the medical institution implements its own disposal. Each medical institution shall satisfy the permitted in-house disposal concentration of radioactive wastes. The guidelines for self-disposal presented in Korea suggested that self-disposal can be performed 80 days after the generator is used. The purpose of these guidelines is to analyze them by comparing them with the data measured directly with the generator and to study if they are feasible. As a result, the generator with a capacity of 1,000 mCi has the longest half-life, and when tested with a high-radiation Mo(molybdenum) column, the number of days that are below the permitted concentration of body disposal with radioactive waste was 72 days and 71 days that were derived from direct column measurement. The results of the direct study confirmed that the guidelines for in-house disposal in Korea were reasonable, as there were 8 to 9 days of storage compared to the number of in-house disposal days provided in the guidelines.