Producing Molybdenum-99 in a Molten Salt Reactor

Abstract

Current molybdenum-99 production relies on reactors reaching the end of their operational life, requiring innovative solutions to stabilize future supply. This project investigates a novel method of producing ⁹⁹Mo in molten salt reactors (MSRs). The neutron economy available to MSRs makes them uniquely well-suited to produce ⁹⁹Mo from the neutron capture of ⁹⁸Mo. Here, the radioactive decay and neutron capture of molybdenum isotopes are modelled with analytical and computational methods to determine the potential yield of ⁹⁹Mo from a molybdenum target inserted in an MSR. Ten trial neutron spectra are investigated to determine the optimal neutron spectrum shape for ⁹⁹Mo production. It is found that some MSRs operating in the fast spectrum may be the ideal MSRs to produce ⁹⁹Mo by neutron capture.