A huge majority of molybdenum production, roughly 95 percent, is limited to seven large reactors across the globe. Worldwide supply is soon to be further constricted with a reactor in Ontario scheduled to close in October. The fragility of this supply chain underscores a need for more efficient production methods, something University of Missouri researchers hope to refine.

Led by Professor of Chemistry Silvia Jurisson, PhD, a team is working with the MU Research Reactor to investigate alternate molybdenum production materials that are more easily recyclable and produce less waste. In theory, this should reduce both the financial and material costs of using technetium-99.

Isotope supply companies produce molybdenum-99, a precursor isotope to tech-99, which then decays and provides clinicians the technetium needed for diagnosing bone or heart conditions.

“While the use of [technetium] has become somewhat routine, the production costs associated with producing this isotope without using highly enriched uranium are quite costly,” Jurisson wrote in a press release. "Therefore, we’re considering other metal target forms that can be irradiated to generate the same diagnostic (molybdenum-99/technetium-99m) and potentially therapeutic (rhenium-186) radioisotopes at a lower cost to suppliers."

Enriched metals can be extremely expensive—up to $10,000 for miniscule amounts—so finding ways to more efficiently reuse these materials is imperative. MU researchers posited that by adding sulfides to osmium, tungsten or molybdenum, they could produce effective radioisotopes while making the recycling process easier.

“We found that the addition of sulfides to tungsten, osmium and molybdenum—coupled with proper cooling after they had been irradiated—helped us to recover between 88 and 93 percent of the metals while still producing the needed radioisotopes,” said Jurisson. "This means that this very expensive metal can potentially be recycled to cut down on healthcare costs while still being effective."