A method for producing 225.sup.A including: a method (X) for purifying a .sup.226Ra-containing solution, including an adsorption step of allowing a .sup.226Ra ion to adsorb onto a carrier having a function of selectively adsorbing a divalent cation by bringing a .sup.226Ra-containing solution into contact with the carrier under an alkaline condition, and an elution step of eluting the .sup.226Ra ion from the carrier under an acidic condition; a method for producing a .sup.226Ra target, including an electrodeposition liquid preparation step of preparing an electrodeposition liquid by using a purified .sup.226Ra-containing solution obtained by the method (X), and an electrodeposition step of electrodepositing a .sup.226Ra-containing substance on a substrate by using the electrodeposition liquid; and a step of irradiating a .sup.226Ra target produced by the method for producing a .sup.226Ra target with at least one selected from a charged particle, a photon, and a neutron by using an accelerator.

.sup.225actinium is produced from .sup.226radium by irradiating a liquid .sup.226radium target by means of protons, deuterons or gamma irradiation in an irradiation device (2) and by extracting the produced .sup.225actinium out of the irradiated liquid target solution in a first extraction device (6). The liquid target solution from which the .sup.225actinium has been removed is then irradiated again to produce further .sup.225actinium therein. The liquid target solution is preferably circulated, in a closed loop (4), over the irradiation device and in a further closed loop (7) over the first extraction device (6). An advantage of such a method is that the irradiated target solution does not need to be dried and re-dissolved to be able to separate the produced actinium from the radium and no further drying and re-dissolving step is needed for producing the liquid target again starting from the separated radium. The radium target can thus be recycled in a more efficient and safer way, especially in view of the radon gas which is continuously produced by the decay of .sup.226radium.

The invention relates to a method and a system for producing radioisotopes, and specifically, the method and system for producing radioisotopes including generating one or more among actinium-225 (.sup.225Ac), thorium-227 (.sup.227Th), and radium-226 (.sup.226Ra) by irradiating a natural thorium target including thorium-232 (.sup.232Th) with braking radiation or an accelerated electron beam.

A method of producing actinium by using liquefied radium includes producing Ac-225 using Ra-226 of a liquefied state, moving the produced Ac-225 in a liquefied state after Ac-225 is produced, and separating Ac-225 and reusing Ra-226. As a result, a nuclear reaction process of Ac-225 may be performed and loss of Ra-226 may be minimized. Further, such a method may improve safety by including a radon collection unit which is capable of discharging and isolating radon produced from Ra-226, thereby preventing radiation exposure due to radon.

Method for the manufacture of Radium-225-containing material from Radium-226-containing materials by subjecting a starting material containing Radium-226 to neutron irradiation from a nuclear reactor to convert .sup.226Ra into Radium-225 to provide a Radium-225-containing material, characterised in that the neutron irradiation of Radium-226-containing starting material is performed in a moderated nuclear reactor; and the Radium-226-containing starting material is shielded with a thermal neutron absorption shield.

The invention provides a method for generating medical isotopes, the method comprising contacting a primary radiation beam with a converter for a time sufficient to produce a secondary beam of gamma particles, and contacting the beam of gamma particles to a target, where the cross section dimension of the beam of gamma particles is similar to the cross section dimension of the target. Both the converter and target are small in diameter and very closely spaced. Also provided is a system for producing medical isotopes, the device comprising a housing having a first upstream end and a second downstream end, a radiotransparent channel (collimator) with a first upstream end and a downstream end, wherein the upstream end is adapted to receive a radiation beam, a target positioned downstream of the downstream end of the channel and coaxially aligned with the channel, wherein the target has a cross section that is similar to the cross section of the channel.

A method of separating actinium and/or radium from proton-irradiated thorium metal. The thorium metal is irradiated to produce isotopes including thorium, actinium and/or radium. The resultant product is dissolved in solution and a selective precipitant is used to precipitate a bulk portion of the thorium. The precipitated thorium can be recovered. Chromatography is carried out on the remaining solution to remove residual thorium and to separate the actinium from the radium.

The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for producing Ac-225 from Ra-226, comprising submitting Ra-226 to a photo-nuclear process, collecting an electrochemical precipitation of an Ac-225 on a cathode in a recipient, removing the cathode from the recipient after the electrochemical precipitation of the Ac-225, transferring the cathode to a hot cell environment, and extracting the Ac-225 from the cathode in the hot cell environment. The Ra-226 may comprise a liquid solution in the recipient, and submitting Ra-226 to the photo-nuclear process may comprise irradiating the Ra-226 to produce Ra-225. The Ra-225 may decay into Ac-225 upon irradiation of the Ra-226.

A method of producing actinium by using liquefied radium can minimize loss of Ra-226 according to the state change of Ac-225 by producing Ac-225 using Ra-226 of a liquefied state, moving the produced Ac-225 in a liquefied state after Ac-225 is produced, and separating and reusing Ac-225, thereby enabling a nuclear reaction process of Ac-225 to be performed. Further, a method of producing actinium by using liquefied radium according to the present disclosure has an effect of enabling safety to be improved by including a radon collection unit which is capable of discharging and isolating radon produced from Ra-226, thereby preventing radiation exposure due to radon.

The disclosure provide an apparatus for producing a nuclide by using a liquid target which can perform the nuclear reaction process and can discharge the radioactive gas such as Radon within the vial. As described above, an apparatus for producing a nuclide by using a liquid target according to the present disclosure can minimize quantitative loss of a reactant by performing the nuclear reaction process using a target of a liquefied state and reusing a liquefied target on which the nuclear reaction process has not been performed, and can improve safety by enabling the radioactive gas generated to be disposed.