An Integrated Closed Loop Flowsheet for Production of Highly Enriched 63Ni and Deposition of 63Ni Coatings

Abstract The existing technologies for the production, separation, and purification of 63 Ni, as well as methods for the deposition of nickel coatings to fabricate a betavoltaic nuclear battery have been reviewed. A new integrated closed loop flowsheet for the production of highly enriched 63 Ni and deposition of 63 Ni coatings using a single reagent, phosphorus trifluoride (PF 3 ), in all stages of the process is proposed. The use of tetrakis(trifluorophosphine)nickel [Ni(PF 3 ) 4 ] allows isotopic enrichment of 62 Ni and 63 Ni, purification of irradiated Ni from radioactive impurities, and deposition of highly enriched 63 Ni onto a semiconductor substrate. The proposed flowsheet allows the amount of the liquid radioactive waste generated during isotope purification and coating deposition to be reduced as compared to traditional “wet” chemistry methods.