by
John R. Fischer, Senior Reporter | February 21, 2022
The U.S. made phasing out HEU shipment a directive in the Energy Policy Act of 1992 but made a provision for exports related to medical isotope needs until a sufficient domestic supply could be made with LEU (low enriched uranium) targets alone. It helped foreign reactors convert these shipments to LEU, which is enriched with less than 20% of U235, and invested in other initiatives to reduce the presence of HEU.
NorthStar manufactures Mo-99 at the University of Missouri Research Reactor, which is one of the two remaining U.S. university research reactors to be fueled with HEU. The university says it will convert it when a compatible LEU fuel is developed. Niowave says it will use niobium-based superconducting accelerators to produce Mo-99 from LEU in a noncritical reactor, and SHINE will use a fission process to do the same.
Ad Statistics
Times Displayed: 133
Times Visited: 2 Fast-moving cardiac structures have a big impact on imaging. Fujifilm’s SCENARIA View premium performance CT brings solutions to address motion in Coronary CTA while delivering unique dose saving and workflow increasing benefits.
The NNSA is likely to supply one more fuel shipment of weapons-grade HEU each to the Belgian Reactor 2 and the Institut Laue-Langevin research reactor in France. SCK CEN, which runs the Belgian Reactor 2, says it will convert it to LEU fuel by 2026. The Institut Lau-Langevin is scheduled to switch to LEU in 2031.
Back to HCB News
