Porous ZrC-carbon microspheres as potential insoluble target matrices for production of¹⁸⁸W/¹⁸⁸Re

Authors

Nicholas Scales, Australian Nuclear Science And Technology OrganisationFollow
Jun Chen, University of WollongongFollow
Robert Aughterson, Australian Nuclear Science And Technology Organisation
Inna Karatchevtseva, Australian Nuclear Science And Technology Organisation
Attila Stopic, Australian Nuclear Science And Technology Organisation
Gregory R. Lumpkin, Australian Nuclear Science And Technology Organisation
Vittorio Luca, Centro Atomico Constituyentes

RIS ID

129769

Publication Details

Scales, N., Chen, J., Aughterson, R. D., Karatchevtseva, I., Stopic, A., Lumpkin, G. R. & Luca, V. (2018). Porous ZrC-carbon microspheres as potential insoluble target matrices for production of¹⁸⁸W/¹⁸⁸Re. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry: an International Journal dealing with all Aspects and Applications of Nuclear Chemistry, 318 (2), 835-847.

Abstract

New microsphere sorbents are reported, which could find application in demanding radiation environments and especially as targets for the production of nuclear medicines by neutron irradiation. An easily-synthesized Zr anionic complex was introduced into quaternary amine-functionalised polystyrene-divinylbenzene-based anion-exchange resins by batch adsorption. Upon carbothermal reduction, the precursors were converted to porous carbon matrices containing particles of ZrC and ZrO2polymorphs. The most phase-pure material, ZrAX-1, possessed high surface area, multi-scale porosity and high mechanical strength. Adsorption of Re and W was investigated and its possible deployment as a reusable host for the production of188W/188Re is discussed.