Evaluation of the production amount of Ac and its uncertainty through the Ra(n,2n) reaction in the experimental fast reactor Joyo

Sasaki, Yuto*; Sano, Aaru; Sasaki, Shinji  ; Iwamoto, Nobuyuki  ; Ouchi, Kazuki  ; Kitatsuji, Yoshihiro  ; Takaki, Naoyuki*; Maeda, Shigetaka   

Ac is attracting attention as an alpha-emitting medical radioisotope. Since its demand is expected to increase, domestic production of Ac is required from the viewpoint of Japan's medical research and economic security. To establish the technical bases for the Ac production, JAEA has evaluated the radioactivity that can be produced in the experimental fast reactor Joyo and designed the concept that upgrades the existing facilities for transporting the irradiated target from Joyo to a neighboring PIE facility rapidly. Efficient Ac Separation from Ra irradiated in a fast reactor was studied. Ba and La were used as alternatives to Ra and Ac, respectively. By using DGA resin as an adsorbent, it can be expected that Ra and impurities generated by irradiation will be removed and Ac will be isolated. This study has revealed that Joyo can sufficiently produce Ac as a raw material for pharmaceuticals.