Investigating 99Mo output changes in high-sustainability uranium targets by modifying target volume and geometry

Abstract

Introduction: The most common current uranium target type for 99Mo production uses plate geometry. This paper investigates the effects of geometry on 99Mo output and target sustainability.Methods: MCNP6.2 was used to model rectangular, spherical, and cylindrical targets ranging from 12.03 cm3 to 120.34 cm3 to determine the target geometry and volume effects on 99Mo output, sustainability, proliferation concerns, and heating. 4-7 days irradiation was used with a consistent target density of 2 g/cm3 UO2 for all target types.Results and Discussion: The cylindrical target was found to have the best performance due to having the second highest sustainability, the highest 99Mo output and produce the lowest amounts of 239Pu compared to the other target geometries. The heating comparison showed that there were negligible heating concerns for all target volumes and geometries.