Ponente
Descripción
The International Fusion Irradiation Facility-DEMO Oriented NEutron Source (IFMIF-DONES) will be an experimental facility that will provide a characteristic spectrum of high energy and intensity neutrons. Its primary functionality will be to test materials under equivalent nuclear fusion irradiation conditions to qualify them for the future nuclear fusion power plant DEMO. The material specimens will be held inside the High Flux Test Module (HFTM) just behind where the neutron source is produced.
The IFMIF-DONES project is in the final design phase, and the optimization of other secondary uses compatible with the main one that provide added value is being studied. One of them is to reuse the attenuated flux of neutrons coming out of the HFTM for producing Molybdenum-99 (99Mo), a radioactive element that disintegrates generating Technecium-99m (99Tc). This paper study the possibility to install a device to produce radioisotopes just behind the HFTM. 99Tc is the most used radiopharmaceutical for imaging diagnostic of many types of cancer. Currently, its production is engaged and the search for new ways to obtain is urgent. Besides, for the IFMIF-DONES neutron spectrum it is possible to obtain 99Mo through two nuclear reaction ways 98Mo(n, γ)99Mo and 100Mo(n, 2n)99Mo. The last reaction is not possible to reach in nuclear fission plants.
The study has been carried out for different types of molybdenum samples (natural and enriched with 98Mo and 100Mo) and in different positions has been simulated. Nuclear transport and nuclear inventory calculation codes have been used to obtain the specific activity.
