Production of (28)Mg by bombardment of (nat)Cl with 200MeV protons: Proof-of-concept study for a stacked LiCl target.

A stacked target consisting of ten Al-encapsulated LiCl discs, for producing (28)Mg via the (nat)Cl(p,X)(28)Mg process in the energy region 50-200MeV, is described. This target was irradiated with a 200MeV beam at an intensity of 100nA, providing information on both yield and outscattering losses. Results of a Monte Carlo modelling of the beam and target, by means of the code MCNPX, are also presented. Similar Al-encapsulated LiCl discs were individually irradiated with 66MeV proton beams of 65 and 90μA, respectively, to study their behaviour under high-intensity bombardment. Once removed from the Al encapsulation, the (28)Mg can be separated from the LiCl target material efficiently, using a 12.5cm x 1cm(2) column containing Purolite S950 chelating resin. The eluate contains (7)Be but no other measurable radio-contaminants. The removal of the (7)Be contaminant is performed by cation exchange chromatography in malate media, with (28)Mg being retained by the resin and (7)Be eluted.