Fused zinc targets for the production of gallium radioisotopes

Fused zinc targets for the production of gallium radioisotopes

C. Hoehr(1), S. Zeisler(1), J. Kumlin(1), A. Limoges(1), J. Siikanen(2)
(1) TRIUMF, Life Sciences Division, Vancouver, B.C., Canada – (2) Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

Oral Presentation

None

Fused zinc targets promise a new, efficient, and reliable technique for manufacturing solid targets for the production of gallium radioisotopes, without the time consuming downsides of other commonly used methods, such as electroplating or sputtering.
To fabricate fused targets, small pressed zinc pellets of 150 – 300 mg weight are fused into a recess in the backing material (aluminum, silver). Using a hotplate, the fusing can be accomplished in less than 2 minutes. Subsequently, the targets are quickly cooled, polished, and are ready to be used for irradiation.
The dissolution behavior of the fused targets is comparable to electroplated targets. We dissolved ~200 mg of zinc with 12N HCl in approximately 5 minutes.
Experience with the target preparation, irradiation, dissolution, as well as separation will be discussed.
Fused targets require little preparation, minimal time, few materials and tools, thus reducing manufacturing cost. Furthermore, the simplistic nature of the method opens up the possibility of large-scale target production.