Skip to main content
  • Paul Scherrer Institut PSI
  • PSI Research, Labs & User Services

Digital User Office

  • Digital User Office
  • DE
  • EN
  • FR
Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI)
Search
Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI)

Hauptnavigation

  • Research at PSIOpen mainmenu item
    • Research Initiatives
    • Ethics and Research integrity
    • Scientific Highlights
    • Scientific Events
    • Scientific Career
    • PSI-FELLOW
    • PSI Data Policy
  • Research Divisions and LabsOpen mainmenu item
    • Overview
    • Research with Neutrons and Muons
    • Photon Science
    • Energy and Environment
    • Nuclear Energy and Safety
    • Biology and Chemistry
    • Scientific Computing, Theory and Data
    • Large Research Facilities
  • Facilities and InstrumentsOpen mainmenu item
    • Overview
    • Large Research Facilities
    • Facilities
    • PSI Facility Newsletter
  • PSI User ServicesOpen mainmenu item
    • User Office
    • Methods at the PSI User Facilities
    • Proposals for beam time
    • Proposal Deadlines
    • Data Analysis Service (PSD)
    • EU support programmes
  • New ProjectsOpen mainmenu item
    • SLS 2.0
    • IMPACT
  • DE
  • EN
  • FR

Digital User Office (mobile)

  • Digital User Office

You are here:

  1. PSI Home
  2. Labs & User Services
  3. NES
  4. LRC
  5. Research Groups
  6. Isotope and Target Chemistry

Secondary navigation

Laboratory of Radiochemistry

  • Research Groups Expanded submenu item
    • Heavy Elements
    • Isotope and Target Chemistry Expanded submenu item
      • Isotope production and separation
      • Target Manufacturing
      • Nuclear Data
      • Waste treatment
      • MeaNCoRN
      • Instruments and Methods
        • Molecular Plating
        • Vapour Deposition
        • Droplet Deposition
        • Spin Coating
        • alpha-spectrometry
        • gamma-spectrometry
        • LSC
        • Thermochromatography
      • Fe-60 in Astrophysics
      • Workshops and Conferences
        • ERAWAST
      • Isotope and Target Delivery
    • Radionuclide Development
  • People
    • Team Heavy Elements
    • Team Isotope and Target Chemistry
    • Team Radionuclide Development
  • Publications
  • Annual Reports
  • Seminars
  • Open Positions
  • Useful links

  • Neutron Irradiation Service (NIS)

Isotope and Target Chemistry (ITC)

Investigation and exploitation of activated material

The knowledge of the radionuclide inventory in accelerator waste is of increasing importance not only for the evaluation of existing waste and the corresponding waste management, but also for the development of new techniques for handling, decommissioning and storage of such materials. The analytical focus of our research group is concentrated on the radiochemical characterization of activated components from the accelerator facilities at PSI – information which is required by the Swiss authorities (BAG, ENSI). These nuclear data serve as well as benchmarks for calculation codes and theoretical predictions and help to improve the nuclear data base for the development of new facilities, for instance the European Spallation Source (ESS) in Lund (Sweden), the ADS prototype MYRRHA in Mol (Belgium), or for the development of Accelerator Driven Systems (ADS) and Radioactive beam facilities (RIB) in general.

However, not only the content, but also the radiochemical and physico-chemical behavior of the produced radionuclides play an essential role for the assessment of potential hazards and their elimination. Our investigations in the field of metal target technology address basic processes like release behaviour of radionuclides, migration in liquid and solid matrices and the search for possibilities of trapping and/or separation of isotopes.

Some of the identified radionuclides are very rare, exotic, and in many cases difficult to produce by common methods. These isotopes can be extracted from suitable sources and made accessible for a broad variety of scientific and technological applications. We developed separation systems for the isolation of such radionuclides from several accelerator components like targets, beam dumps or cooling water. We are experienced in target preparation and actively participate in key experiments like half-life and cross section measurements, partly under own leadership (e.g. 53Mn) or in collaborations (e.g. 60Fe, 7Be, 171Tm).

As a relatively new topic, we work on waste treatment and isotope reclamation from spent nuclear fuel solutions (project WIR), which are presently available at PSI and urgently need to be disposed. Besides the development and swift realization of a tailored conditioning system, we want to utilize this valuable source for isotope extraction, mainly aiming on minor actinides and fission products.
 

Sidebar

Further Information

  • Head: Dorothea Schumann

Contact

Paul Scherrer Institut
Laboratory of Radiochemistry
Secretariate
OFLB/108

Forschungsstrasse 111
5232 Villigen PSI
Switzerland

Mrs. A. Blattmann
+41 56 310 2401
angela.blattmann@psi.ch

Directions to PSI

How to get to the Paul Scherrer Institute (description and map)


LRC Annual Reports

The Annual Reports of the LRC contain accounts of ongoing scientific research and provide an overview of the variety of topics investigated in our laboratory. Until 2015, they comprise results achieved within the former Laboratory for Radio- and Environmental Chemistry (LCH).

top

Footer

Paul Scherrer Institut

Forschungsstrasse 111
5232 Villigen PSI
Switzerland

Telephone: +41 56 310 21 11
Telefax: +41 56 310 21 99

How to find us
Contact

Visitor Centre psi forum
School Lab iLab (in German)
Center for Proton Therapy
PSI Education Centre
PSI Guest House
PSI Gastronomie (in German)
psi forum shop

Service & Support

  • Phone Book
  • User Office
  • Accelerator Status
  • PSI Publications
  • Suppliers
  • E-Billing
  • Computing
  • Safety (in German)

Career

  • Working at PSI
  • Job Opportunities
  • Training and further education
  • Career Center
  • Vocational Training (in German)
  • PSI Education Center

For the media

  • PSI in brief
  • Facts and Figures
  • Media corner
  • Media Releases
  • Social Media

Follow us: Twitter (in English) LinkedIn Youtube Facebook Instagram Issuu RSS

Footer legal

  • Imprint
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Editors' login