Isotope Recovery with PEEK | Argonne National Laboratory Collaboration with INTAMSYS FUNMAT PRO HT

Each year, doctors rely on Molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) to diagnose numerous cases of cancer and heart disease. However, recycling this isotope has been neither simple, cost-effective, nor efficient. "There was no easy, economic, or efficient way to recycle this isotope," said Dave Burkey, communications director at Argonne National Laboratory.

Mo-99 decays into Technetium-99m (Tc-99m), an isotope crucial for pharmaceutical development. Producing Tc-99m by concentrating Mo-99 is expensive, costing around $1,000 per gram. Using parts made from PEEK (Polyether Ether Ketone), printed with the INTAMSYS FUNMAT PRO HT large-scale high-temperature 3D printer, Argonne Laboratory has achieved the large-scale recovery of enriched Mo-98 and Mo-100.

In 2015, Peter Tkac and his team proposed this method. Compared to other recovery methods, it’s faster, cheaper, and more reliable. "However, it was initially difficult to automate," Tkac noted.

As Burkey mentioned in previously published research, recovering enriched Mo is highly complex. It involves a series of corrosive chemical treatments to dissolve enriched Mo in an acidic solution, followed by tedious filtration and purification to obtain the enriched Mo.

In 2016, Tkac collaborated with Peter Kozak, an aerospace engineering and 3D printing technology expert, to study the automated purification and separation process for enriched Mo. They replaced traditional funnels and test tubes with 3D-printed acrylic contactors, which use centrifugal force to separate chemicals.

"With 3D printing, we can create streamlined, integrated contactors with fewer external connections, allowing us to push liquids through the separation system more quickly and stably," explained Kozak. Alex Brown, Brian Saboriendo, and their research team published a study in the Journal of Solvent Extraction and Ion Exchange, noting that 3D-printed contactors improved the recovery efficiency of enriched Mo, reduced costs, and enabled better separation and purification of enriched Mo from potassium and other contaminants.

However, these acrylic contactors were corroded by hydrochloric acid after just 15 hours of use. "While the experimental results were promising, we needed a more corrosion-resistant material for large-scale application," Kozak said.

Tkac and Kozak soon discovered Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK). PEEK offers excellent corrosion resistance and greater stability than acrylic, making it suitable for long-term use in organic and acidic solvents. However, 3D-printed PEEK is prone to warping and shrinking. By adjusting the fan speed and chamber temperature, Kozak used the INTAMSYS FUNMAT PRO HT to resolve these issues. The FUNMAT PRO HT printer enabled Kozak's team to print PEEK contactors, allowing them to recover enriched Mo quickly and efficiently.

Carbon-Fiber Structures

Their in-house INTAMSYS Printers 3D printed parts have a unique application in carbon-fiber structures. To shape the carbon-fiber structures and prevent them from melting at high temperatures during the process, the team uses 3D-printed parts made from PEI material. The high strength and heat resistance of PEI make it suitable for the hot and pressurized environment inside an autoclave.

Air Geo

The team also uses PEI a lot inside their high-voltage accumulator. With its fire resistance and high strength abilities, PEI is again the perfect choice for many parts inside the accumulator. One of these parts is Air Geo, which is located inside the accumulator at the back of the car. This component serves as a housing for cables, relays, fuses, and numerous PCBs, ranging from light indicators for the accumulator to the accumulator management system.

After thorough research and benchmarking, WEERG chose INTAMSYS as their supplier. The INTAMSYS FUNMAT PRO 410 met all their requirements with features like a heated chamber, dual heated nozzles, and a heated filament chamber.

INTAMSYS offered one single solution that got it all:

A robust printer with a sleek aesthetic finish, heated chamber, dual heated nozzles, and heated filament chamber.
Free and user-friendly software with incorporated printing settings (Click and Print experience) for a wide range of materials (from PA12-CF to PEEK).
Reliable support, and most importantly for WEERG, honesty and a true partnership.

WEERG also appreciated the user-friendly software with incorporated printing settings and the reliable support from INTAMSYS.

We accompany our customers in a professional manner throughout the entire project - from planning and design to the prototype or the production of a complete series. Combining our 3D printing processes with conventional component processing, post-processing and surface refinement of the prototypes, small series or even a trade fair exhibit is our daily business. Since the company was founded in 1995, our experienced team in Gross-Gerau has made a name for itself well beyond the borders of the Rhine-Main area. We are one of the leading service providers for everything to do with 3D printing and have more than satisfied customers from a wide variety of industries - from the automotive and consumer goods industries to mechanical engineering and companies from the medical technology sector.

Alex Di Maglie
Managing Director, 4D Concepts

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FUNMAT PRO 410
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FUNMAT HT
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MATERIAL SUPERIORITY

Versatile INTAM™ Polymers

Tank Holder

The tank holder is a new part in this year´s racing car. The part is printed on the FUNMAT PRO 610HT with the material choice of ABS. For the driverless disciplines, the team uses pressurized air to activate the brakes in an emergency. This year, they changed the concept of how pressurized air is stored, which required a new mounting solution. The tank holder is designed to solve this challenge.

Flap Ribs

Other 3D printed parts, using the FUNMAT PRO 610HT and PC material, are the flap ribs that play a crucial role in the construction of the car’s side wing. These ribs are glued into the carbon-fiber shells and incorporate threaded inserts for attaching the wing to the chassis.

While the team has used these ribs for years, they have redesigned for this season to accommodate changes in the aerodynamic shape of the wings. Using INTAMSUITE™ NEO and the 3D printing technology, they conducted topology optimization to achieve the lightest possible geometry, resulting in an organic shape that would not be possible to manufacture by milling.

How 3D Printing with PEEK Aids Isotope Recovery at Argonne National Laboratory

Using Acrylic Materials for Recovery Contactors

3D Printing PEEK Contactors

Carbon-Fiber Structures

Air Geo

INTAMSYS FUNMAT PRO 610HT: Enhancing Performance

4D Concepts – prototype of a temperature-resistant pulley made of glass-fiber reinforced PEEK (PEEK-GF).

Discover WEERG’s Journey with INTAMSYS’ Printers

The application of high-end filaments made of high-performance plastics such as PEI is not new to the field of 3D Printing. However, it requires both, a wide range of skills (materials and production) and the appropriate machinery.

Thanks to its large-format 3D printer from INTAMSYS, 4D Concepts can now process a wide range of high-end plastics with excellent thermal and mechanical properties for prototyping. Parts are out of PEI 9085.

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Tank Holder

Flap Ribs

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