Production of tungsten-188 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Rhenium-188 (Re-188) shows great promise as a versatile, therapeutic radioisotope for a variety of applications including tumor therapy, the palliative treatment of intractable bone pain resulting from metastasis to the skeleton, the inhibition of restenosis of the arteries following high-pressure balloon angioplasty, tumor therapy with peptides and antibodies, and the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis of the synovial joints. The tungsten-188 (W-188) parent is produced by the irradiation of enriched W-186 oxide targets in the Oak Ridge National Laboratory High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). The HFIR has one of the highest thermal fluxes in the world and is therefore unique in its ability to produce W-188. To optimize W-188 production, the use of solid metallic W-186 is being evaluated, since the target density can be substantially increased. Pressed and sintered metallic targets have been prepared, irradiated for a full cycle in the HFIR at a flux of 1 2 x 10(15) neutrons/cm(2)/s, successfully processed, and analyzed. Production yields of 3.2 mCi/mg have been achieved.