Technetium-99
| Technetium | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Properties | |
| Type | Element |
| Made With/By | Recycling depleted Uranium, Plutonium, and MOX fuel |
| Difficulty of Production | Easy |
| Exists in Reality | Yes |
| Atomic Number | 43 |
| Radioactivity | 2.75 RAD/s |
| Technetium-99 | |
|---|---|
| Main Information | |
| Category | Waste |
| Radioactivity | 2.75 RAD/s |
| Gameplay Information | |
| Acquisition | Fission product |
Technetium-99 is a common waste product from the fission of uranium and plutonium. It has a relatively high half-life for a fission product, so its radioactivity is only mild.
Production
Technetium-99 can be extracted from spent uranium, plutonium, and MOX fuel via a ZIRNOX or research reactor.
Technetium-99 also makes up 20% of non-depleted uranium-235-type short-lived nuclear waste from the RBMK.
Uses
It currently can only be used to make technetium steel, an extremely corrosion resistant metal alloy, and self-charging batteries.
Trivia
- It has a half-life of 211,000 years, making it only mildly radioactive.
- Technetium is the lightest element with no stable isotopes.
- Tc-99m (metastable isomer) is often used in nuclear medicine.[1]
- Tc-99m can also be produced without a nuclear reactor, via neutron activation of molybdenum-98 into Mo-99, which has a half-life of ~66 hours and decays into Tc-99m.[2]
- In real life, it is considered a long-lived waste isotope, not a short-lived one.
- Like some other metals, it can also be used as a chemical catalyst, such as for dehydrogenation and the production of isopropyl alcohol and it is very effective compared to traditional choices. However, its radioactivity prevents these applications.[3]
Gallery
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Billet
-
Nugget
References
- ↑ Emsley, J. (2001). Nature's Building Blocks: An A-Z Guide to the Elements. Oxford, England, UK: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-850340-8.
- ↑ Kelly, J. J. (1980). Effluent and environmental radiation surveillance: a symposium. ASTM International. p. 91.
- ↑ Schwochau, K. (2000). Technetium: Chemistry and Radiopharmaceutical Applications. Weinheim, Germany: Wiley-VCH. ISBN 978-3-527-29496-1.