45Ti, a candidate for positron emission tomography: Study of the cyclotron production

The nuclear-physical properties of 45 Ti (half-life 3.08 h, 85% β + -decay, 15% electron capture, daughter isotope 45 Sc) make it suitable for positron emission tomography. 45 Ti can be produced at a small cyclotron in a high yield, 450 MBq μA −1 h −1 , using the 45 Sc( p,n ) 45 Ti nuclear reaction on a natural scandium target. The excitation functions for the 45 Sc( p,n ) 45 Ti reaction were calculated by ALICE/91, ALICE/ASH, and TALYS-1.2 codes and compared to the existing data. Deposition of Sc 2 O 3 on a Cu substrate was carried out by two sedimentation methods for the production of 45 Ti, and a simple method for radiochemical separation of radiotitanium was suggested. The targets were examined by SEM and subjected to thermal shock test. The optimal thicknesses of target was substantiated, and the production yield for the 45 Sc( p,n ) 45 Ti reaction was calculated.