Development of fundamental technologies for domestic production of medical radioisotope (technetium-99m); The First and second phase report (FY2014-2020)

Project 6 Meeting Members for Tsukuba International Strategic Zone

JAEA-Review 2021-016, 102 Pages, 2021/11

JAEA-Review-2021-016.pdf:12.76MB

In December 2011, the Prime Minister designated Tsukuba and some areas in Ibaraki Prefecture as "Comprehensive Special Zones". In the Tsukuba International Strategic Zone, nine advanced research and development (R&D) projects are underway with the goal of promoting industrialization of life innovation and green innovation utilizing the science and technology in Tsukuba. In these projects, the domestic production of medical radioisotope (Technetium-99m, Tc) was certified as a new project in October 2013, and R&D have been performed in collaboration with related organizations with Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) as the project leader. Japan is the third largest consumer of molybdenum-99 (Mo) after the United States and Europe, and all Mo are imported. Supply will be insufficient if overseas reactors are shut down due to trouble or if transportation (air and land transportations) is stopped due to volcanic eruptions and some accidents. Thus, early domestic production of Mo is strongly required. This project is a technology development aimed at domestic production of Mo, which is a raw material of Tc used as a diagnostic agent. This report summarizes the activities carried out in the first and second phase of the domestic production of medical radioisotope (Tc) (here referred to as the "Project 6") in Tsukuba International Strategic Zone (FY2014-2020).

Fabrication technology development and characterization of irradiation targets for Mo/Tc production by (n,) method

Nishikata, Kaori; Kimura, Akihiro; Ishida, Takuya; Shiina, Takayuki*; Ota, Akio*; Tanase, Masakazu*; Tsuchiya, Kunihiko

JAEA-Technology 2014-034, 34 Pages, 2014/10

JAEA-Technology-2014-034.pdf:3.26MB

As a part of utilization expansion after the Japan Material Testing Reactor (JMTR) re-start, research and development (R&D) on the production of medical radioisotope Mo/Tc by (n, ) method using JMTR has been carried out in the Neutron Irradiation and Testing Reactor Center of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency. Mo is usually produced by fission method. On the other hand, Mo/Tc production by the (n, ) method has advantages for radioactive waste, cost reduction and non-proliferation. However, the specific radioactivity per unit volume by the (n, ) method is low compared with the fission method, and that is the weak point of the (n, ) method. This report summarizes the investigation of raw materials, the fabrication tests of high-density MoO pellets by the plasma sintering method for increasing of Mo contents and the characterization of sintered high-density MoO pellets.

Swift heavy ion irradiation effects in nanocrystalline gold

Chimi, Yasuhiro; Iwase, Akihiro*; Ishikawa, Norito; Kobiyama, Mamoru*; Inami, Takashi*; Kambara, Tadashi*; Okuda, Shigeo*

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 245(1), p.171 - 175, 2006/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2005.11.096

We have studied effects of irradiation with energetic particles on defect accumulation in nanocrystalline gold (nano-Au). The specimens of nano-Au foil (3-5 m thickness) with various grain sizes (23-156 nm) are prepared by the gas deposition method and subsequent thermal annealings. Irradiations of the specimens with 60-MeV C ions, 3.54-GeV Xe ions or 2.0-MeV electrons are performed at low temperature. The defect accumulation behavior is observed by measuring the electrical resistivity change during irradiation. Through an analysis of defect accumulation behavior, cross-sections for defect production, , and annihilation, , in nano-Au increase monotonically as the grain size decreases. These results are considered to be caused by the existence of a large volume fraction of the regions near grain boundaries in nano-Au where the threshold energy for atomic displacements, E, becomes lower than in polycrystalline gold. The possibility of electronic excitation effects in nano-Au is also discussed.

High-injection carrier dynamics generated by MeV heavy ions impacting high-speed photodetectors

Laird, J. S.; Hirao, Toshio; Onoda, Shinobu; Ito, Hisayoshi

Journal of Applied Physics, 98(1), p.013530_1 - 013530_14, 2005/07

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1947381

no abstracts in English

Primary process of radiation chemistry studied by ion pulse radiolysis

Yoshida, Yoichi*; Yang, J.*; Saeki, Akinori*; Tagawa, Seiichi*; Shibata, Hiromi*; Namba, Hideki; Kojima, Takuji; Taguchi, Mitsumasa

JAERI-Review 2004-025, TIARA Annual Report 2003, p.143 - 144, 2004/11

https://jopss.jaea.go.jp/pdfdata/JAERI-Review-2004-025-p0117-p0247.pdf

no abstracts in English

Effects of high-energy ion irradiation in bismuth thin films at low temperature

Chimi, Yasuhiro; Ishikawa, Norito; Iwase, Akihiro*

Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings, Vol.792, p.379 - 384, 2004/00

We have studied high-energy ion irradiation effects in bismuth by measuring the electrical resistivity at low temperature in relation to its structural change. Bismuth thin films (300-600 10 K with several kinds of energetic (100-200 MeV) heavy ions. The resistivity of the specimen is measured in-situ at 7 K during irradiation. After irradiation, annealing behavior of the resistivity is observed up to 35 K. The temperature dependence of the resistivity during annealing shows an abrupt increase around 20 K, implying re-crystallization of irradiation-induced amorphous region. Since amorphous bismuth also shows a superconducting transition below 6 K, high-density electronic excitation due to energetic heavy-ion irradiation may induce columnar region of superconducting amorphous bismuth in normal crystalline bismuth. We are trying to detect the superconducting transition as a result of irradiation-induced amorphization.

Primary process of radiation chemistry studied by ion pulse radiolisys

Yoshida, Yoichi*; Yang, J.*; Seki, Shuhei*; Saeki, Akinori*; Tagawa, Seiichi*; Shibata, Hiromi*; Taguchi, Mitsumasa; Kojima, Takuji; Namba, Hideki

JAERI-Review 2003-033, TIARA Annual Report 2002, p.145 - 146, 2003/11

no abstracts in English

Comparison of confinement degradation in high density and particle transport between tokamak and helical

Takenaga, Hidenobu; Oyama, Naoyuki; Fujita, Takaaki; Yamada, Hiroshi*; Nishimura, Kiyohiko*; Tanaka, Kenji*; Sakamoto, Ryuichi*

Annual Report of National Institute for Fusion Science; April 2003 - March 2004, P. 12, 2003/10

http://www.nifs.ac.jp/report/annrep04/00000001.pdf

no abstracts in English

Characteristics of boundary plasmas after the removal of divertor baffle plates and boronization on JFT-2M

Kawashima, Hisato; Sengoku, Seio; Tsuzuki, Kazuhiro; Ogawa, Hiroaki; Kimura, Haruyuki

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 313-316, p.1338 - 1342, 2003/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3115(02)01516-7

no abstracts in English

The Interpretation of surface damages in AlO, MgAlO and MgO irradiated with energetic iodine ions

Aruga, Takeo; Katano, Yoshio*; Omichi, Toshihiko*; Jitsukawa, Shiro

Surface & Coatings Technology, 158-159, p.444 - 448, 2002/09

no abstracts in English