Delux Industrial Gases

Calcium Isotopes (mainly Ca-42, Ca-44, Ca-46 and Ca-48) are used extensively in clinical research and mainly in nutritional studies. They are used to measure calcium absorption mainly in women and children. In adults, calcium deficiency is strongly related to increasing severity of osteoporosis. In children, calcium deficiency is primarily related to the development of rickets. Ca-48 has been used to bombard Pb and Bi targets in order to create super heavy elements.

Copper Isotopes Cu-63 and Cu-65 are used to study copper metabolism and gastrointestinal diseases. Cu-63 is used for production of medical radioisotope Zn-62 and can also be used for the production of Cu-64 which is used in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Cu-65 has also been proposed as a precursor for the (cyclotron) production of Cu-64.

Both Bromine Isotopes are used in nuclear medicine. Br-81 is used for the production of the radioisotope Kr-81m which is used for diagnostics. Br-79 can be used for the cyclotron production of Kr-77 which decays to the radioisotope Br-77 although the most common production route for Br-77 is via Se-77. Br-77 has been suggested for radiotherapy because of its electron capture decay and ease of labeling.

Both Bromine Isotopes are used in nuclear medicine. Br-81 is used for the production of the radioisotope Kr-81m which is used for diagnostics. Br-79 can be used for the cyclotron production of Kr-77 which decays to the radioisotope Br-77 although the most common production route for Br-77 is via Se-77. Br-77 has been suggested for radiotherapy because of its electron capture decay and ease of labeling.

Carbon Isotopes and mainly C-13 is used extensively in many different applications. C-13 is used for instance in organic chemistry research, studies into molecular structures, metabolism, food labeling, air pollution and climate change. C-13 is also used in breath tests to determine the presence of the helicobacter pylori bacteria which causes stomach ulcer. C-13 can also be used for the production of the radioisotope N-13 which is a PET isotope. The C-12 atom has been given the atomic weight of exactly 12.000000000 and is used as the basis upon which the atomic weight of other isotopes is determined.

Boron Isotopes B-10 and B-11 are used extensively in the nuclear industry. B-10 is used in the form of boric acid as a chemical shim in pressurized water reactors while in the form of sodium pentaborate it is used for standby liquid control systems in boiling water reactors. B-11 can be used as a neutron reflector. Outside the nuclear industry both Boron isotopes are used as food label to study boron metabolism. B-10 is also used in so-called boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). Both B-10 and B-11 can be used for the production of two radioisotopes: C-11 and N-13. Trace Sciences International is the world''s most reliable supplier of enriched stable Boron isotopes.

Although Potassium only has two stable isotopes (K-39 and K-41), the long-lived radioisotope K-40 is often also regarded as a stable isotope. Potassium Isotopes, mainly K-40 and K-41, are used to study the impact of potassium on the growth of plants and of the human cardiovascular system.

Titanium Isotopes are used for a wide range of studies and applications. Ti-48 is used for the production of the radioisotope V-48 which is used in nutritional studies and for calibrating PET instrumentation. Ti-47 is occasionally used as an alternative precursor for the production of V-48. Ti-50 is used in the production of super heavy elements whereby Lead or Bismuth targets are bombarded with Ti-50. Finally, Ti-49 is used in the production of the radioisotope V-49.

Vanadium has two isotopes and one of them, V-50, has a very low natural abundance (0.25%). V-50 is occasionally used for research purposes. V-51 is used in diabetes and metabolism studies.

Iron Isotopes are mainly used in nutritional studies, with Fe-57 and Fe-58 being the two most commonly used Fe isotopes. Studies have included iron-loss by human adolescents, conditions for effective iron absorption, interventions for anemia and genetic iron control. The Fe-54 isotope is used for the production of radioactive Fe-55 which in turn is used as an electron capture detector and in X-ray fluorescence. Fe-56 can be used for the production of radioactive Co-55 which is used as a tumor seeking agent in bleomycin

Zinc Isotopes are used extensively in both industrial and medical applications. Depleted Zn-64 is added to the cooling water of nuclear reactors in the form of oxide or acetate to prevent stress corrosion cracking. It also reduces the release of (stable) Co-59 into the cooling water by forming a thin spinel layer on the Co containing steel surfaces. Neutron irradiation of Co-59 will result in the formation of Co-60, a radioisotope which emits high energy gamma radiation and is a major contributor to the dose rate of personnel working in the reactor. Enriched Zn-67 is often used in biological research into the uptake of Zn in the human body. It can also be used for the production of radioactive Ga-67 in smaller cyclotrons. However, by far most Ga-67 is made from Zn-68. Zn-67, Zn-68 and Zn-70 can all be used for the production of the therapeutic isotope Cu-67. Zn-66 has been proposed as an alternative target for the production of Cu-64 and Ga-67. Finally Zn-70 is also used in biological research and in research into super-heavy elements.

Both Gallium Isotopes are stable and are used in nuclear medicine and physics. Ga-69 is used for production of the radioisotope Ge-68. This isotope is used for so-called Ge-68/Ga-68 generators. The Ga-68 that is created from the decay of Ge-68 is used as a PET isotope. Ga-71 has been used to study the behavior of solar neutrinos and it is also used in NMR studies.

Germanium Isotopes are mainly used for the production of medical As and Se radioisotopes. Ge-74 is used for the production of As-74, Ge-76 for the production of As-77, Ge-74 for the production of As-73 and Ge-72 for As-72. Ge-70, Ge-72 and Ge-74 can all be used for the production of the medical radioisotope Se-73, although the most common production route is via natural As (As-75). Natural GeF4 is used in the semiconductor pre-amorphisation implant process. The use of Ge-72, in the form of GeF4, improves this process and reduces contamination. Finally, Ge-76 is used to study double beta decay.

Selenium Isotopes are mainly used for the production of medical and industrial radioisotopes. Se-77 and Se-78 are used for the production of the therapeutic radioisotope Br-77. Se-80 is used for the production of the medical radioisotope Br-80m. Se-74 is used for the production of Se-75 which is used as a source in gamma radiography. Se-76 can be used for the production of the medical isotopes Br-75 and Br-76. Se-82 has been used to study double beta decay. Most of the Selenium isotopes have been used in studies into the role of Selenium as an essential nutrient.

Thallium has two stable isotopes and one of these, Tl-203, is used to produce one of the “workhorses” of nuclear medicine: Tl-201. Tl-201 is used extensively for imaging and in particular for perfusion tests of the myocardium. These tests are done to determine the damage to the heart from a heart attack or from heart diseases. Tl-205 has been proposed as an alternative target for the production of Tl-201. Tl-205 is also used in nuclear magnetic resonance research.

Zirconium has five stable isotopes, of which a few are used for the production of radioisotopes. Although radioactive Zr-95 is a fission product, it can also produced by neutron irradiation of Zr-94. Zr-96 has been used for the production of the radioisotope Zr-97. Zr-90 can be used for the production of the PET isotope Nb-90. Finally, Zr-90 has been proposed for cladding in nuclear fuel. The use of Zr-90 would lower even further the already low neutron absorption cross section of natural Zr that is currently used as fuel cladding.

Both Rubidium Isotopes have medical and industrial applications. Rb-87 is used as a frequency standard in high-precision timing equipment such as GPS receivers. It also used in the production of Bose-Einstein condensates and in laser cooling. Rb-85 is used for the production of the radioisotope Rb-86 which is used as a tracer. Rb-85 can also be used for the production of Sr-82, which is used in Sr-82/Rb-82 generators, though Sr-82 is generally produced with natural Rubidium.

There are four stable Strontium Isotopes and two of them have medical applications. Sr-86 is used for the production of the PET isotope Y-86 which is used in dosimetry prior to Y-90 based radioimmunotherapy. Sr-88 is used for the production of Sr-89 which is the active agent in Metastron™.

Stable Hydrogen Isotopes - H Isotopes



Hydrogen Isotopes H-2, also known as deuterium, is used in a variety of applications. Deuterium is used extensively in organic chemistry in order to study chemical reactions. It is also used in vitamin research. Deuterium in the form of H2O, known as heavy water, is used as a moderator in CANDU nuclear reactors, in NMR studies and in studies into human metabolism. Heavy water is also applied in the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory where it is used to study the behavior of neutrinos.

Two Antimony Isotopes are used for the production of medical radioisotopes. Sb-121 can be used for the production of I-124, although this medical radioisotope is usually produced via Te-124. Sb-121 and Sb-123 can both be used for the production of I-123, although the most common production route is via Xe-124 or Te-123.

Palladium Isotopes are used in a variety of scientific applications. Pd-104 is used for the production of radioactive Pd-103 seeds which are used to fight prostate cancer. Pd-103 can also be made from Pd-102. Other Pd isotopes such as Pd-110 and Pd-108 have been used in physical experiments such as research into the decay of Nd-137 and nuclear fusion phenomena. Pd-108 can also be used for the production of radioactive Pd-109 which is used for cancer therapy.

Stable Lithium Isotopes - Li Isotopes


Li-7 is used to control the pH level of the coolant in the primary water circuit of pressurized water reactors. Li-7 is also used for the production of the medical research radioisotope Be-7. Li-6 is used in thermonuclear weapons and the export and use of Li-6 is therefore strictly controlled. Li-6 can also be used for the production of the radioisotope H-3, which is used in biochemistry research.

Krypton Isotopes are used in various medical and scientific applications. Kr-82 is used for the production of Rb-81/Kr-81m generators. Many of the stable isotopes of Krypton are used in the study of the pulmonary system. Kr-78 can be used for the production of Br-75 although production of Br-75 via Se-76 is more common. Kr-86 has been used to define the standard measure of length: 1 meter is exactly 1,650,763.73 wavelengths of this isotope.

Nitrogen Isotopes N-14 and N-15 are both used in various applications. N-15 is used for the production of the radioisotope O-15 which is used in PET. N-15 is also used to study the uptake of Nitrogen in plants and the metabolism of proteins in the human body. N-14 is used for the production of the PET radioisotope C-11. It can also be used for the production of the PET radioisotopes N-13 and O-15.

Silicon Isotopes are used in a variety of applications. Si-28 has been suggested to improve the thermal conductivity of semiconductors. Si-29 is used extensively in NMR spectroscopy. Si-30 has been used to produce the radioisotope Si-31. Si-30 has also been used to study the self-diffusivity of Silicon and it has been used to study the isotope effect on superconductivity.

Molybdenum Isotopes have several applications. Mo-95 is used for the production of the medical radioisotope Ru-97. Mo-96 is used for the production of the radioisotopes Tc-96 and Tc-95m, both of which have a medical application. Most Mo isotopes are also used in nutrition studies in humans. Depleted Mo-95 has been suggested for use in UMo fuel elements for materials test (high flux) reactors. Mo 100 is currently very in high demand.

Magnesium Isotopes Mg-25 and Mg-26 are used to study the absorption and metabolism of Mg in the human body and they are also used for heart disease studies. Mg-25 is also used for the production of the radioisotope Na-22.