Radioisotope production at the advanced test reactor: process and lessons learned

• An overview of how radioisotope production ties in with research reactor operations. • Descriptions of how scoping studies are performed and incorporated into production decisions at Idaho National Laboratory. • Discussion of the shipping process to ship radioisotopes in a manner compliant with regulations from the U.S. DoT. • Review of lessons learned to increase the success of radioisotopes in a research reactor environment. The mission of the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) focuses on creating irradiation facilities for nuclear materials and fuels research. While radioisotope production is not a core part of the ATR mission, it is important for providing a U.S. domestic source of critical radioisotopes such as cobalt-60 (Co-60). This paper gives an overview for radioisotopes currently being produced in ATR as well as other potential radioisotopes that can be produced in ATR. It also provides guidance on radioisotope production that can be applied to other test reactors.