Sunday, January 12, 2014

New cheaper method for enriching stable isotopes

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New cheaper method for enriching stable isotopes -

The University of Texas at Austin Researchers have developed a new method to enrich a group of Chemicals most expensive in the world, Stable isotopes, which are essential for medical imaging and nuclear energy, as reported this week in the journal Nature Physics . For many isotopes, the new method is cheaper than existing methods. For others, it is more environmentally friendly.

A less expensive internal source of stable isotopes could ensure continuity of current applications while opening opportunities for new medical therapies and basic scientific research.

Chemical elements often found in nature as a mixture of different variants called isotopes. To be useful in most applications, a single isotope must be enriched or separated from the rest.

A combination of factors caused a looming shortage of some more expensive but stable isotopes useful in the world.

last year, the Office of the Government of responsibility published a report warning that there could soon be a shortage of lithium-7, a key component of many nuclear reactors. The lithium-7 production was banned in the US because of environmental concerns, and it is unclear whether the current sources, China and Russia will continue to meet global demand.

One of the main sources of molybdenum-99, essential for medical imaging in tens of millions of breast procedures every year the heart, kidneys and is an aging nuclear reactor in Canada that is expected to cease operations in 2016. other precious isotopes are produced by machines of the era of the cold war known under the name calutrons operating in Russia. Their extreme age, high operating costs and regional concentration further threaten global supply.

"Isotopes are among the most expensive products on Earth," says Mark Raizen, professor of physics at the University of Texas at Austin College of Natural Sciences and author of the study. "An ounce a stable isotope that needs to separate the calutron can run about $ 3 million. This is about 00 times the price of gold. And has retained certain medical treatments. "

Unlike calutron, which requires huge amounts of energy to maintain a magnetic field with electromagnets, the new method for enriching stable isotopes, called MAGIS ( magnetically activated and guided isotope separation), needs little energy because of its use of low-power permanent magnets and lasers. It also has less risk of environmental effects of the chemical process used in production lithium-7, which has been linked to mercury contamination

See an animation of MAGIS device in action and learn more about how it works here. https://www.youtube. com / watch? v = Ziri-7AxFAM.

nuclear medicine, in particular could benefit from the new method, the researchers say. many stable isotopes are precursors of short-lived radioisotopes used in imaging medical, cancer therapies and nutritional diagnostics.

The new method also has the potential to enhance our national security. Researchers have used the method to enrich the lithium-7, crucial for the functioning of most nuclear reactors. The US depends on the lithium-7 supply from Russia and China, and disruption could result in the shutdown of the reactors. Other isotopes can be used to detect dangerous nuclear materials arriving in US ports.

co-authors on the paper are Raizen Tom Mazur, a PhD student at the university; and Bruce Klappauf, a software developer at Enthought and a former director of research at UT Austin.

Now Raizen priority to get this technology from the lab and in the world. The MAGIS invention has been granted a US patent, which belongs to the University of Texas at Austin, with Raizen and Klappauf as inventors.

Raizen plans to create a nonprofit foundation to license the technology.

"I think this is a way that is unique among all the projects I did change the world. And I passionately feel about it, "Raizen said." There are many potential uses of isotopes that we do not even know, but they have been selected because the price was too high, or it was unavailable This will be one of the missions of the foundation - .. to explore and develop isotopes for benefit of mankind "

Some critics have raised concerns about the possibility for terrorists or states. MAGIS thugs used to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons. Raizen believes that these concerns are unfounded unique chemical characteristics of the particular uranium. Read an online debate between Raizen and Francis Slakey, a physicist and assistant business manager public of the American Physical Society here: http://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/201301/backpage.cfm.

This research was funded by the University of Texas at Austin [


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