National Infrastructure Supporting U.S. Isotope Production
ORNL operates specialized nuclear facilities and radiochemical infrastructure that enable isotope production, enrichment, processing, and research capabilities unavailable elsewhere in the United States. These facilities support nuclear medicine, national security, industry, scientific discovery, and the domestic isotope supply chain.
Decades of federal investment established ORNL as one of the nation’s leading centers for isotope science and production.
Infrastructure That Enables National Capability
Reliable isotope production requires specialized reactors, hot cells, gloveboxes, radiochemical laboratories, enrichment technologies, and highly trained personnel. ORNL’s infrastructure enables the safe handling, processing, testing, and production of radioactive and stable isotopes used across healthcare, national security, industry, and scientific research.
These facilities support work that cannot be performed in conventional laboratory environments.
What This Infrastructure Supports
Nuclear Medicine
Facilities support production and processing of isotopes used in cancer treatment and diagnostic imaging.
National Security
Infrastructure enables radiation detection, safeguards, nuclear forensics, and other critical federal missions.
Scientific Discovery
Advanced facilities support neutron science, isotope research, materials science, and radiochemical innovation.
Domestic Supply Chain
ORNL infrastructure strengthens domestic isotope production and reduces dependence on foreign suppliers.
All Facilities
Irradiated Fuels Examination Laboratory (IFEL)
IFEL was built and is maintained for the safe handling of increasing levels of radiation in the chemical, physical, and metallurgical examination of nuclear reactor fuel elements and reactor parts.
Irradiated Materials Examination and Testing Facility (IMET)
The IMET facility was designed and built in 1950 as a hot cell facility.
Radiochemical Engineering Development Center (REDC)
At the REDC, experts in radiochemical processing use specialized equipment and systems to produce unique radioisotopes for applications in research, national security, medicine, space exploration and industry.
Stable Isotope Production and Research Center (SIPRC)
ORNL is building SIPRC to expand the nation’s capability to enrich stable isotopes for medical, industrial, research and national security uses.
Stable Isotope Production Facility (SIPF)
The DOE is committed to build SIPF to produce stable isotopes that are in short supply and cannot be enriched with current domestic capabilities.
Radioisotope Processing Facility (RPF)
ORNL looks to build RPF to address the growing demand for radioisotopes.
Isotope Research Materials Laboratory (IRML)
The IRML facility provides enriched stable isotopes to the medical, industrial, national security and scientific communities.
Radioisotope Development Laboratory (RDL)
The RDL facility is used exclusively to produce actinium-227 for the US Department of Energy’s Isotope Program.
