Industrial Applications of ECR-Based Neutron Generators 16th International Conference on Ion Sources New York, NY| August 28, 2015 Scott Christensen, Evan Sengbusch, Greg Piefer, Ross Radel

Versatile Technology Many opportunities exist in very disparate markets, but PNL’s core technology does not change significantly across these markets. Detection 80%+ Semiconductors Isotopes Imaging Ion Source Accelerator

Neutron Source Overview Beam Profile

Neutron Source Overview Accelerator Column SF6 Pressure Vessel Moderator Ion Source Power Supplies Ti Target Ion Source Test Cavities Solenoid Magnet Vacuum Pumps Waveguide Break

Example System 300 kV Accelerator Ion Source 5 ft.

Microwave Ion Source 2.45GHz microwaves generated by magnetron at ~1kW ECR process ionizes gas in plasma chamber Beam extraction at 30-60kV Current density 40-250 mA/cm2 Measured 100mA of extracted D+ current (CW) Very long lifetime (years) High atomic ion fraction (~90%) High gas efficiency (>25%)

MWS Performance Performance evaluated over wide range of settings 99.99% uptime demonstrated for CW runs of 100’s of hours Mature technology with wide range of integrated diagnostics Applicable to more than just neutron generators Proton source, CW H- source, etc. 60kV, 65mA Beam on calorimeter 1

Gas Target Cylindrical gas target approximately 1m in length and 15cm in diameter Deuterium or tritium gas High pressure (10 – 30 Torr) maintained by differential pumping Neutron source is effectively a “line source”

Solid Target Gas target can be replaced with solid target to minimize size Copper coated with titanium Higher deuterium concentration Excellent thermal properties Targets are self-loading and self- replenishing Proprietary, automated cleaning process for extremely long lifetime High beam current and voltage create unique cooling challenges

Applications Explosives and SNM Detection Isotope Production Neutron Radiography Semiconductor Processing Silicon PNL Ion Beam

Medical Isotope Production Mo-99 decays into Tc-99m Used in over 80% of nuclear medicine imaging procedures Gamma energy (140keV) perfect for SPECT medical imaging Worldwide > 40 million scan procedures performed each year Stress tests to detect heart disease Cancer screening Bone scans Mo-99 represents a $600M annual market Supply shortages and proliferation concerns have made a non-HEU, domestic supply of Mo-99 a high priority One of four $25M cooperative agreement awards from DOE GE and Babcock & Wilcox have dropped out Northstar Medical Radioisotopes is remaining competitor

Medical Isotope Production PNL high-intensity neutron generator to induce fission Subcritical system Easier regulatory path than reactor Low-enriched uranium (LEU) target Avoids the security concern of HEU Uranium placed in an aqueous solution Target reusable Generates far less waste Neutron yield and unit operation has been demonstrated

Neutron Radiography Complementary imaging technique to X-rays and other NDI modalities Neutrons interact with atomic nucleus, not electron cloud Cross section determined by nucleus composition, not material density Excellent at imaging low-density materials Certain materials have very high cross sections (e.g. Gd) Use is presently limited due to lack of available neutron sources Reactors are sparse, hard to access, expensive, and logistically difficult COTS neutron generators too weak to produce images in practical time periods X-rays Neutrons

Neutron Radiography Defect Turbine Blade X-Ray Neutron Army goal: image every shell with neutrons Defective munitions kill soldiers Army is developing new Q/A requirements that will use neutrons PNL awarded Army contract to deliver commercial radiography prototype Neutrons only viable solution for key components: Turbine blades Composite wing structures Batteries/Fuel Cells Helicopter blades Example: U.S. Turbine blade manufacturers Typically takes ~10 minutes per image at reactor Single PNL machine can generate >50,000 images per year – enough to handle entire throughput of large turbine blade manufacturers Propellant Invisible Propellant Visible Defect (invisible to x-rays) Turbine Blade

Explosive Hazard Detection Neutron Generator 2 Radiation Fingerprint Emitted Neutrons emitted by PNL Neutron Generator Neutrons interact with explosive Characteristic gamma rays emitted and detected IED Established technique, but only very short distances with long detection times PNL system greatly increases standoff distance and speed of detection

Californium Replacement Applications 2.645 y half-life 2.3x106 n/μg/s ORNL and RIAR are the only producers ORNL provides about 70% of the world’s Cf-252 Packaged in sealed containers Used as neutron sources Well logging Nuclear reactor start-up Cancer therapy Radiography Instrument calibration / certification Prompt gamma neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) Nuclear fuel Non Destructive Assay (NDA)

Californium Replacement Applications With full cost-recovery after end of loan/lease program, Cf increased 10x in price Future cost increases expected, especially if/when consortium partners drop out Neutron generators now more economical for some applications Moderator assembly (if any) customized depending on application “Production, Distribution, and Applications of Californium-252 Neutron Sources” R. C. Martin, J. B. Knauer, and P. A. Balo, 1999   US Army Contract # W911S8-14-P-0029

Summary PNL has developed high yield, gas and solid target neutron generator High current ECR ion source 300 kV Accelerator Targets provide years of lifetime Measured neutron yield of 3x1011 DD n/s The same high-yield neutron generators are useful for several different applications Isotope production Neutron Radiography Explosives and SNM detection Cf-252 replacement

Thank You! Phoenix Nuclear Labs scott.christensen@phoenixnuclearlabs.com phoenixnuclearlabs.com +1 608 210 3060