Development of the fabrication technology of wide uranium foils for Mo-99 irradiation target by cooling-roll casting method

An alternative fabrication method for polycrystalline uranium foils has been investigated using a cooling-roll casting method at KAERI since 2001, in order to produce a medical isotope 99Mo, the parent nuclide of 99mTc. The fabrication method of wide uranium foils produced by a cooling-roll casting was recently developed to improve the quality of the uranium foils and the economic efficiency of the foil fabrication with modifications of the casting apparatus and adjustments of the process parameters. A continuous polycrystalline LEU foil with a thickness range of 100 to 150 μm. and a width of about 50 mm, exceeding 5m in length for a batch procedure, could be fabricated with a better quality of the uranium foil and a higher yield of the foil fabrication, through improvements of the casting apparatus and variations of the process parameters. (author)