Photonuclear production of 47Ca for 47Ca/47Sc generator from natural CaCO3 targets

Abstract

This work investigated the indirect production of ⁴⁷Sc from natural Ca targets via ⁴⁸Ca(γ,n)⁴⁷Ca→⁴⁷Sc + β⁻ + ${\overline{\nu }}_e$ with incident electron energies of 30, 35, and 40 MeV. The ⁴⁷Ca production yields were simulated using the PHITS Monte Carlo simulation code and compared to experimental data. The simulated production rates for all three irradiations are in good agreement with experimental data within uncertainties. As a demonstration of the ⁴⁷Ca/⁴⁷Sc generator system, one of the irradiated CaCO₃ targets was dissolved in nitric acid, and ⁴⁷Sc was isolated from the target material using commercially available Eichrom DGA resin. The ⁴⁷Sc was allowed to grow in, and the purification process was repeated with promising ⁴⁷Sc and Ca recovery yields.