A novel and facile approach for the preparation of 133 Ba source core, encapsulation and quality evaluation

An electrochemical technique for fabrication of Mn-54 sources towards characterization of gamma counting nuclear instruments

Long lived sealed radioactive sources are used for the energy calibration and efficiency determination of counting systems used in the nuclear sector. Using a sulphate bath, a facile electrochemical method was developed by electrodeposition of ⁵⁴Mn on 5 mm (φ) stainless steel substrates for the preparation of ⁵⁴Mn sources for such uses. Inactive sources prepared under suitable experimental parameters characterized by XRD revealed that manganese is deposited in oxide form. SEM and EDS analyses of electrodeposited surfaces confirmed uniform distribution of elements and the absence of fractures, flaws, and spatial variations. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) scans provided information about the electrochemical processes involved in the deposition process. Uniform distribution of radioactivity on surface of source was ascertained by autoradiography. Swipe tests of the encapsulated sources confirmed negligible removable surface contamination. The ⁵⁴Mn sources containing up to 185KBq of ⁵⁴Mn on stainless steel discs were prepared. These sources along with other longer lived sources were supplied to various users as a package of radiation sources for characterization of gamma counting systems over a wide energy range.

Preparation of 57Co point sources for the performance evaluation of nuclear imaging instruments

This paper describes the utility of electrodeposition method to prepare (57)Co point sources. A description of the electrolytic cell, the process of (57)Co electrodeposition, encapsulation and quality control of the sealed (57)Co sources is presented. Sources containing ~3.7-4.81 MBq (0.10-0.13 mCi) of (57)Co were prepared, encapsulated in miniature titanium capsules and subjected to quality control tests to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. The encapsulated (57)Co sources prepared by the reported procedure were found to be effective in routine performance evaluation of nuclear medicine instruments.

An electrochemical route to prepare planar 204Tl sources for the calibration of beta surface contamination monitors

This paper describes the utility of the electrochemical technique for the preparation of a circular planar 204Tl source required for the calibration of beta surface contamination monitors. The electrolytic cell, the experimental set up used and the process of deposition are described. The factors that influence the electrodeposition of 204Tl onto the circular copper substrate were investigated and a careful control has been exercised to ensure an optimum deposition of the 204Tl activity onto the substrate. The morphology of the deposited layer was examined by SEM, AFM and EDS analyses. Sources containing ∼3.7 MBq (∼0.1 mCi) 204Tl on a copper sheet of 20 mm diameter working area were prepared and housed in a holder. Quality control tests on the leachability, distribution of activity and stability of the source were performed to ensure compliance with regulatory safety requirements.