REDC Processing Operations Update

June 2003

The Staff at the Radiochemical Engineering Development Center (REDC) is currently processing nine recycled curium targets in transplutonium element processing campaign, REDC Campaign 73 (C73). The targets were discharged from the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at the end of cycle 392 and transferred to the REDC for the start of C73 on February 3, 2003 . This campaign will consist of the radiochemical processing steps to recover, separate, and purify the transplutonium element products listed below:

We have already received requests for specific products from C73 and will make plans accordingly to fill those requests. If you have a desire to obtain a product or product fraction from C73, please make your request as soon as possible so that the processing/allocation schedule can be developed to meet your isotope requests and scheduling requirements.

The first mixed Es product or milked Fm-255 product should be available to the users in mid-March with the other products available in the weeks that follow depending on user requests (i.e. requests for milked Fm-255 will delay the availability of larger quantities of mixed Es). The longer-lived isotopes like Cf-252, Cf-249, and Cm-248 are available almost any time. Feel free to make a request for these isotopes at any time, indicating a desired shipping schedule, and we will make every effort to meet your need. Our goal is to make the C73 products available to as many users as possible.

We appreciate your continued interest in these transuranium isotopes and other REDC-HFIR products available to the research community. If we can assist you in providing heavy actinide products for your research needs, please contact Steve Marschman.