Powering the Nation with
Domestic Isotopes
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is enabling the Department of Energy’s Office of Isotope R&D and Production mission to serve crucial national missions of security, energy, medicine, and science through radioisotopes and stable isotopes.
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Isotopes Applications & Capabilities at ORNL
Isotopes In Medicine
ORNL produces several isotopes used for medical diagnostics and treatment. Among the best-known are actinium-225, now in clinical trials for targeted radiotherapy cancer treatment, and actinium-227, produced for a contract with Bayer for use in the drug Xofigo™, which is given to prostate cancer patients with metastasized bone cancer that hasn’t responded to other treatments.
Isotopes For Security
ORNL-produced nickel-63 can be used to detect unusual amounts of nitrogen, a common ingredient in explosives, making it useful for airport and other security checkpoints. It’s also an inexpensive method of detecting hazardous chemicals and vapors.
Isotopes for Industry
ORNL produces iridium-192, used to inspect welds by radiography and test other materials, and recently began producing promethium-147, recovering it from byproducts of plutonium-238 production, for measuring materials and powering nuclear batteries. ORNL is the largest producer in the Western Hemisphere of californium-252, used to start up nuclear reactors and analyze materials, and produces more than 70 percent of the world’s supply.
Isotopes for Energy
From starting up nuclear reactors using californium-252 to producing plutonium-238 for deep-space missions, ORNL isotope capabilities expand energy technologies that depend on specialized materials, nuclear infrastructure, and scientific expertise.
Stable Isotopes
ORNL has focused on dispensing the existing inventory and production of special isotope chemical and physical forms using metallurgical, ceramic and vacuum processing methods for National Isotope Development Center customers requiring specialized products.
Radioisotopes
Radioisotope science is the foundation of the nation’s isotope supply. At Oak Ridge National Laboratory, researchers are constantly improving how radioisotopes are produced, separated, purified, characterized, and prepared for use in medicine, national security, energy, industry, and scientific discovery.
Making Isotopes
Experts at the lab standardize quality-controlled manufacturing processes for in-demand isotopes, reducing the United States’ dependence on foreign suppliers. ORNL produces, purifies and ships more radioisotopes and stable isotopes than any place in the world for national security, industry, medicine, space exploration and more.
Isotope Facilities
ORNL has a unique complex of nuclear facilities to support the increasing demand for producing isotopes and developing nuclear fuels and materials. Experts at the lab operate, maintain and modernize those facilities, managing infrastructure, staffing and processes needed to support research and development.
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600+ Staff
300+ Isotopes
