Patent ID: 9177679
Filing Date: 2015-11-03
Classification: G21G

Abstract:
1. A subcritical method to produce Mo-99 comprising: a) supplying a proton beam having an energy of up to 400 MeV; b) directing the proton beam at a downstream core of low-enriched uranium, said core comprised of: c) placing a high-atomic-number (“high-Z”) material downstream of the proton beam and upstream of the core; d) exposing the high-Z material to the proton beam so as to produce a flux of neutrons in the direction of the downstream core, and producing on average greater than 10 fissions in the core for each proton of the proton beam; e) causing the neutrons to contact the low-enriched uranium and causing fissions therein for a time sufficient to generate desired quantities of Mo-99 from the low-enriched uranium; and f) extracting said Mo-99 from said core.