On the feasibility of online terbium extraction at ISOL@MYRRHA

B. Leenders, A. Aerts, T. E. Cocolios, S. Cottenier, D. Houngbo, L. Popescu
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms
Volume 541, Page 249-252
2023
A1

Abstract 

Terbium is an element that has four isotopes with interesting properties for medical applications, 149, 152, 155, 161Tb. These radioisotopes are however far from being sufficiently accessible, thereby hindering the pursuit of research on radiolabelling as well as clinical or preclinical investigations. Their lack of market availability is explained by difficulties in producing these radioisotopes with high purity and specific activity. While 161Tb can be produced using neutron capture in nuclear reactors, for 149, 152, 155Tb, a production route involving the ISOL technique is under study within the Tb-IRMA-V project. The ongoing R&D towards the production and extraction of these isotopes from an ISOL target at the ISOL@MYRRHA facility is reported in this contribution.