Production of ytterbium-169 radiography sources in a high flux reactor

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dc.contributor.authorHetherington, ELRen_AU
dc.contributor.authorWood, NRen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2007-11-22T04:23:41Zen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2010-04-30T04:35:33Zen_AU
dc.date.available2007-11-22T04:23:41Zen_AU
dc.date.available2010-04-30T04:35:33Zen_AU
dc.date.issued1974-02en_AU
dc.description.abstractThe irradiation of ytterbium-168 in the Hollow Fuel Element facilities of the AAEC research reactor HIFAR was studied to determine the optimum conditions for the production of ytterbium-169 for industrial radiography sources. The thermal neutron activation cross-section of ytterbium-168 is 3,470 barns; in core positions in the reactor this is significantly increased by the contribution of epithermal neutron activation. Flux depression and target burnup are such that the activation formula normally used for radioisotope production calculations is inadequate. Therefore, a modified formula which includes corrections for these effects, combined with iterative computer calculations to correct for effects resulting from the change in target mass during irradiation, was used to calculate ytterbium-169 yields. It was found that for targets containing 10 mg and 20 mg of Yb2O3, there is an optimum ytterbium-168 enrichment of approximately 20 per cent. The activation of such targets can be increased significantly by diluting the Yb2O3 with a low neutron cross-section material such as graphite. The optimum irradiation time in HIFAR in a thermal neutron flux of 1.0 x 10 14 n cm-2s-1 is approximately one operating period of 24 days.en_AU
dc.identifier.citationHetherington, E. L. R. & Wood, N. R. (1974). Production of ytterbium-169 radiography sources in a high flux reactor. (ANSTO/E306). Lucas Heights, NSW: Australian Atomic Energyen_AU
dc.identifier.govdoc515en_AU
dc.identifier.isbn0642996199en_AU
dc.identifier.otherAAEC-E-306en_AU
dc.identifier.placeofpublicationLucas Heights, New South Walesen_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/505en_AU
dc.language.isoen_auen_AU
dc.publisherAustralian Atomic Energy Commissionen_AU
dc.subjectGamma radiationen_AU
dc.subjectCross sectionsen_AU
dc.subjectHIFAR Reactoren_AU
dc.subjectIsotope separationen_AU
dc.subjectNeutron beamsen_AU
dc.titleProduction of ytterbium-169 radiography sources in a high flux reactoren_AU
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