Molybdenum targets produced by mechanical reshaping

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Physics
• Radiochemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Technetium-99m (^99mTc) is a vital medical isotope.
• Efficient production relies on optimizing nuclear reactions, such as the ¹⁰⁰Mo(p,xn)^99mTc reaction.
• Availability of suitable targets is critical for reaction parameter determination and yield estimation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prepare targets for the ¹⁰⁰Mo(p,xn)^99mTc reaction.
• To enable accurate determination of reaction parameters.
• To facilitate estimation of ^99mTc production yields.

Main Methods:

• Starting with powder material, targets were prepared using electron beam gun melting into solid beads.
• The melted material was mechanically reshaped into foils.
• Target preparation involved powder melting, hot flattening, and cold rolling to produce foils of varying thicknesses.

Main Results:

• Successful preparation of targets from powder material.
• Production of both thick (hundreds of microns) and thin (down to 250 nm) foils.
• The developed procedure allows for versatile target fabrication.

Conclusions:

• The described methods effectively produce ¹⁰⁰Mo targets suitable for nuclear reaction studies.
• The ability to create targets of varying thickness supports optimization of ^99mTc production.
• These targets are essential for advancing the reliable supply of ^99mTc for medical applications.