From the beginning of the twenty-first century at the facilities of Leningrad NPP, a branch of Rosenergoatom, there was started industrial production and commercial realization of isotope Cobalt-60 (Со-60).
Со-60 is received artificially, exposing the single stable isotope of cobalt 59Co to bombarding by thermal neutrons (in the nuclear reactor or by means of neutron generator).
Received Со-60 is used for production of gamma radiation sources, that are widely used in many in-dustries and intended for:
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sterilization of medical appliances and materials;
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sterilization of foodstuffs;
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sterilization and desinfection of food and beverage;
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stimulation of growth and yielding capacity of cereals and vegetable crops;
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decontamination and clearing of industrial and sanitary wastewater, solid waste produced by various types of industrial facilities;
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improvement and strengthening of woodware;
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hardening of different types of special purpose glass and its painting;
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irradiation of different products made of polymers, in order to give them new consumer proper-ties)
Ionizing source of gamma-particle radiation based on Со-60
Purchaser of the products is a Canadian company MDS Nordion.
Current projects:
At the moment Rosenergoatom implements the project "Organization of Со-60 production at RBMK" at Smolensk NPP and Kursk NPP providing for startup of production similar to the one at LNPP.
Promising projects:
Technical capability and feasibility of molybdenum -99 isotopes production (at RBMK reactors) and cobalt -60 with high specific activity (at fast breeding reactors) is studied now.