Abstract: Targetry coupled separation refers to enhancing the production of a predetermined radiation product through the selection of a target (including selection of the target material and the material's physical structure) and separation chemistry in order to optimize the recovery of the predetermined radiation product. This disclosure describes systems and methods for creating (through irradiation) and removing one or more desired radioisotopes from a target and further describes systems and methods that allow the same target to undergo multiple irradiations and separation operations without damage to the target. In contrast with the prior art that requires complete dissolution or destruction of a target before recovery of any irradiation products, the repeated reuse of the same physical target allowed by targetry coupled separation represents a significant increase in efficiency and decrease in cost over the prior art.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 9, 2025
Date of Patent:
June 9, 2026
Assignee:
TerraPower Isotopes, LLC
Inventors:
Ken Czerwinski, Joshua C. Walter, Christopher Dunckley
Abstract: In one aspect, the technology relates to a method of producing Ac, the method including preparing a phosphate-modified titania material to produce an ion-exchange material, contacting a solution including 229Th with the ion-exchange material to produce a Th-loaded titania material, eluting the Th-loaded titania material with a wash solution to produce an eluted solution containing eluted compounds including 225Ac, concentrating the eluted solution to generate eluted compounds including the 225Ac, and separating the 225Ac from the eluted compounds.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 20, 2022
Date of Patent:
February 3, 2026
Assignee:
TerraPower Isotopes, LLC
Inventors:
Ken Czerwinski, Sayandev Chatterjee, Zuolei Liao, Pyoungchung Kim, Vladislav P. Vlasenko, Russell C. Ludwig, Christopher P. Dunckley
Abstract: This disclosure describes methods for manufacturing a radioisotope of actinium from an irradiated source material that includes thorium. The method includes storing the source material in a vessel to allow at least some of the source material to decay into actinium. The containment vessel is then injected with supercritical carbon dioxide and a ligand to form a metal complex of actinium. The actinium complex is then removed from the vessel without substantially removing any of the thorium from the vessel.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 24, 2024
Date of Patent:
September 23, 2025
Assignee:
TerraPower Isotopes, LLC
Inventors:
Ken Czerwinski, Joshua C. Walter, Christopher Dunckley