Search

US-20260128188-A1 - AC-225 PRODUCTION VIA THE RA-226 (N, 2N) REACTION

US20260128188A1US 20260128188 A1US20260128188 A1US 20260128188A1US-20260128188-A1

Abstract

The present disclosure provides various methods, systems, and devices for producing actinium-225 (Ac-225). In one aspect of the disclosure, a method for producing Ac-225 includes inserting an irradiation target assembly into a commercial nuclear reactor. The irradiation target assembly comprises a radium-226 (Ra-226) material. The method further includes producing electricity using the commercial nuclear reactor by generating a neutron flux in the commercial nuclear reactor. The method further includes irradiating the Ra-226 material with the neutron flux generated in the in the commercial nuclear reactor to produce a radium-225 (Ra-225) material. The Ra-225 material decays to produce an Ac-225 material.

Inventors

  • Eugene T. Hayes
  • Michael D. Heibel

Assignees

  • WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC COMPANY LLC

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20241106

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A method for producing Ac-225 using a thermal nuclear reactor, the method comprising: inserting an irradiation target assembly into a core of the thermal nuclear reactor, wherein the irradiation target assembly comprises Ra-226 isotopes; generating a neutron flux in the core of the thermal nuclear reactor to produce electrical power, wherein the neutron flux comprises thermal neutrons and fast neutrons; and producing Ra-225 isotopes from a portion of the Ra-226 isotopes via a Ra-226 (n, 2n) reaction based on exposing the irradiation target to the neutron flux, wherein the Ra-225 isotopes decay to produce Ac-225 isotopes.
  2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermal nuclear reactor is a commercial reactor configured to produce at least 100 mW of the electrical power, and wherein generating the neutron flux in the core of the thermal nuclear reactor to produce the electrical power comprises operating the commercial reactor continuously for at least a year, the method further comprising repeatedly during the at least one year of operating the commercial reactor inserting the irradiation target assembly into the core of the thermal nuclear reactor, each time replenished with new Ra-226 isotopes, and producing the Ra-225 isotopes from a portion of the new Ra-226 isotopes.
  3. 3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein, for each time the irradiation target assembly is inserted into the core of the thermal nuclear reactor, the irradiation target assembly comprises greater than 1g of a Ra-226 salt material comprising the Ra-226 isotopes.
  4. 4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein producing the Ra-225 isotopes from a portion of the Ra-226 isotopes via the Ra-226 (n, 2n) reaction based on exposing the irradiation target assembly to the neutron flux comprises exposing the Ra-226 isotopes to the thermal neutrons and the fast neutrons.
  5. 5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the irradiation target assembly does not comprise a thermal neutron jacket configured to block the thermal neutrons from being exposed to the Ra-226 isotopes.
  6. 6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein a ratio of the thermal neutrons to the fast neutrons in the neutron flux exposed to the irradiation target assembly is greater than 10 to 1.
  7. 7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the thermal nuclear reactor is a commercial pressurized water reactor (PRW) or a commercial boiling water reactor (BWR), and wherein inserting the irradiation target assembly into the core of the thermal nuclear reactor comprises inserting the irradiation target assembly via a movable incore detector system (MIDS) or a traversing incore probe system (TIPS).
  8. 8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the irradiation target assembly comprises: a target rabbit couplable to the MIDS or the TIPS; and a target pin housed within the target rabbit, wherein the target pin encases the Ra-226 isotopes.
  9. 9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the target rabbit comprises a shell to house the target pin, and wherein the target rabbit defines a gap between the shell and the target pin.
  10. 10 . The method of claim 9 , the irradiation target assembly comprises a plurality of the target pins housed within the target rabbit.
  11. 11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the irradiation target assembly comprises a plurality of the irradiation target rabbits coupled together.
  12. 12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the target rabbits are coupled together via one or more than one ball-and-socket joint to form a chain of target rabbits.
  13. 13 . A method for producing Ac-225 using a commercial nuclear reactor, the method comprising: inserting an irradiation target assembly into the commercial nuclear reactor, wherein the irradiation target assembly comprises a Ra-226 material; producing electricity using the commercial nuclear reactor by generating a neutron flux in the commercial nuclear reactor; and irradiating the Ra-226 material with the neutron flux generated in the commercial nuclear reactor to produce a Ra-225 material, wherein the Ra-225 material decays to produce an Ac-225 material.
  14. 14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein producing the electricity using the commercial nuclear reactor comprises producing at least 100 mW of electrical power.
  15. 15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the irradiation target assembly comprises at least 1 g of the Ra-226 material.
  16. 16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein irradiating the Ra-226 material with the neutron flux generated in the commercial nuclear reactor comprises irradiating the Ra-226 material with thermal neutrons and fast neutrons, and wherein a ratio of thermal neutrons to fast neutrons in the neutron flux is greater than 10:1.
  17. 17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the Ra-225 material is produced via a Ra-226 (n, 2n) reaction.
  18. 18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising repeatedly inserting the irradiation target assembly into a core of the commercial nuclear reactor and retracting the target assembly from the core of the commercial reactor to produce and collect the Ac-225 material while continuously producing electricity using the commercial nuclear reactor for at least one year.
  19. 19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein inserting the irradiation target assembly into the commercial nuclear reactor comprises inserting the irradiation target assembly into the commercial nuclear reactor via a movable incore detector system (MIDS) or a traversing incore probe system (TIPS).
  20. 20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising concurrently inserting a plurality of the irradiation target assemblies into the commercial nuclear reactor.

Description

FIELD The present disclosure is generally related to methods, systems, and devices for producing actinium-225 and, in several aspects, is directed to methods, systems, and devices for producing actinium-225 via a radium-226 (n, 2n) reaction using a commercial nuclear reactor. SUMMARY According to various aspects, the present disclosure provides a method for producing actinium-225 (Ac-225) using a thermal nuclear reactor. The method includes inserting an irradiation target assembly into a core of the thermal nuclear reactor. The irradiation target assembly includes radium-226 (Ra-226) isotopes. The method further includes generating a neutron flux in the core of the thermal nuclear reactor. The neutron flux comprises thermal neutrons and fast neutrons. The method further includes producing radium-225 (Ra-225) isotopes from a portion of the Ra-226 isotopes via a Ra-226 (n, 2n) reaction based on exposing the irradiation target to the neutron flux. The Ra-225 isotopes decay to produce Ac-225 isotopes. According to various aspects, the present disclosure provides a method for producing Ac-225 using a commercial nuclear reactor. The method includes inserting an irradiation target assembly into the commercial nuclear reactor. The irradiation target assembly comprises a Ra-226 material. The method further includes producing electricity using the commercial nuclear reactor by generating a neutron flux in the commercial nuclear reactor. The method further includes irradiating the Ra-226 material with the neutron flux generated in the in the commercial nuclear reactor to produce a Ra-225 material. The Ra-225 material decays to produce an Ac-225 material. According to various aspects, the present disclosure provides a target assembly for irradiating Ra-226 using a nuclear reactor. The target assembly includes at least one target rabbit. Each of the at least one target rabbit can include an outer shell and a target pin insertable into the outer shell. The target pin can encase a Ra-226 material. The target assembly is insertable into the nuclear reactor. In one aspect, the target assembly can include a plurality of the target rabbits coupled together. In another aspect, the target assembly is usable with a Movable Incore Detector System (MIDS) or a Traversing Incore Probe System (TIPS) for insertion into the nuclear reactor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The various aspects described herein, together with objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings as follows. FIG. 1 is schematic side view of a target assembly for irradiating radium-226 (Ra-226) in a nuclear reactor, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of the target assembly of FIG. 1, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of another a target assembly for irradiating Ra-226 in a nuclear reactor, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is schematic side view of another target assembly for irradiating Ra-226, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a Movable Incore Detector System (MIDS), according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 illustrates a method for producing Ac-225 using a thermal nuclear reactor, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate various aspects of the present disclosure, in one form, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of any of the aspects disclosed herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the overall structure, function, manufacture, and use of the aspects as described in the disclosure and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Well-known operations, components, and elements have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the aspects described in the specification. The reader will understand that the aspects described and illustrated herein are non-limiting examples, and thus, it can be appreciated that the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein may be representative and illustrative. Variations and changes thereto may be made without departing from the scope of the claims. Actinium-225 (Ac-225) is an isotope of actinium. Ac-225 is generally considered to be a very valuable material because of its uses related to cancer treatment. For example, the decay properties of Ac-225 can make it suitable for use in Targeted Alpha Therapy (TAT), which is a method of cancer treatment for delivering alpha particles to destroy cancer cells while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue. However, there exists various challenges associated with