Method for generating a crystalline 99MoO3 product and the isolation 99mTc compositions therefrom

An improved method is described for producing 99mTc compositions. 100Mo metal is irradiated with photons in a particle (electron) accelerator to produce 99Mo metal which is dissolved in a solvent. A solvated 99Mo product is then dried to generate a supply of 99MoO3 crystals. The crystals are thereafter heated at a temperature which will sublimate the crystals and form a gaseous mixture containing vaporized 99mTcO3 and vaporized 99mTcO2 but will not cause the production of vaporized 99MoO3. The mixture is then combined with an oxidizing gas to generate a gaseous stream containing vaporized 99mTc2O7. Next, the gaseous stream is cooled to a temperature sufficient to convert the vaporized 99mTc2O7 into a condensed 99mTc-containing product. The product has high purity levels resulting from the use of reduced temperature conditions and ultrafine crystalline 99MoO3 starting materials with segregated 99mTc compositions therein which avoid the production of vaporized 99MoO3 contaminants. 1 fig