Isotope Development and Production

How do isotopes impact everyday life?

Isotopes developed and produced at Oak Ridge National Laboratory play a direct role in medicine, national security, industry, energy and space exploration. From cancer treatment to airport security and deep-space missions, isotopes enable technologies that people rely on every day.

ORNL is one of the few places in the world where rare and high-value isotopes move from research into real-world use.

Our Isotopes

A purified sample of actinium-225, produced at ORNL’s Radiochemical Engineering Development Center, glows blue when the air that surrounds it is ionized by alpha particles. The FDA has acknowledged receipt of the Drug Master File for Ac-225 nitrate, an in-demand ingredient in targeted cancer treatments. Credit: ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy
The Perseverance rover, headed for Mars this summer, carries a plutonium isotope produced at ORNL, the first domestic production in about 30 years. As it decays, Pu-238 will power the rover and its instruments across the planet. Credit: NASA
Paper periodic table tile showing Nickel

Isotopes in Medicine

  • Actinium-225 is used in targeted alpha therapy, an emerging approach that delivers radiation directly to cancer cells.
  • Actinium-227 is used to produce Xofigo™, a treatment for bone cancer.
  • Radium-224 / lead-212 generator systems support research into next-generation cancer therapies.
  • Tungsten-188 is being studied for treating cancers and autoimmune disorders.
  • Strontium-89 is used to relieve bone pain in cancer patients.
  • Selenium-75 is used in diagnostic imaging and testing.
  • Tungsten-188 also supports research into imaging applications.
A purified sample of actinium-225, produced at ORNL’s Radiochemical Engineering Development Center, glows blue when the air that surrounds it is ionized by alpha particles. The FDA has acknowledged receipt of the Drug Master File for Ac-225 nitrate, an in-demand ingredient in targeted cancer treatments. Credit: ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Isotopes in Industry

  • Selenium-75 is used in radiography to inspect welds, pipelines, and structural components.
  • Promethium-147 is used in thickness gauges and nuclear battery applications.
  • Californium-252 is used for neutron radiography, materials analysis, and to start nuclear reactors.
A view of a manipulator holding a metal tube that will be home to iridium-192 targets.

Isotopes in National Security

  • Nickel-63 is used in detection systems that identify unusual nitrogen levels, helping locate hidden explosives or hazardous materials.

     

Security checkpoint sign at an airport

Isotopes in Space and Scientific Discovery

Some isotopes enable missions that operate far from Earth.

  • Plutonium-238 is used to power radioisotope thermoelectric generators for deep-space missions.

This isotope supports NASA missions such as Mars exploration and future deep-space projects.

ORNL also expands the understanding of nuclear science and the periodic table. 

  • Isotopes have supported the discovery of promethium-61, moscovium-115 and tennessine-117.

 

ORNL not only helps provide fuel for NASA's Perseverance rover on Mars (above) but also conducts other S&T that advances space mission.

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