Analysis and Evaluation of Oxygen-18 Isotope Separation via Cryogenic Distillation Using MATLAB Software

Ahmadi, Hedieh; Rahgoshay, Mohammad; Heidarynasab, Amir

doi:10.24200/nst.2025.1743.2081

Analysis and Evaluation of Oxygen-18 Isotope Separation via Cryogenic Distillation Using MATLAB Software

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Hedieh Ahmadi ¹

Mohammad Rahgoshay ²

Amir Heidarynasab ³

¹ Department of Nuclear Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

² University Teacher

³ Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Petroleum and Chemistry Engineering, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.24200/nst.2025.1743.2081

Abstract

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is an advanced tool for the diagnosis and staging of cancer, based on the detection of glycolytic activity in malignant cells. This method requires drugs such as Fluorine Deoxy Glucose (FDG), the production of which necessitates the separation of Fluorine-18 and Oxygen-18 isotopes with a purity exceeding 95%. The use of cryogenic distillation columns as a suitable method for producing enriched oxygen is significant, despite the associated challenges of cost and efficiency. This study investigates the optimization of distillation column performance, analyzing the effects of factors such as input temperature and pipe height using MATLAB software. The results indicate that the maximum separation of the desired isotope depends on the type of isotope and the conditions of the apparatus, while the type of feed has no effect on concentration distribution. These findings can contribute to the development of optimization methods for the production of isotopes needed in medical imaging.

Keywords

Oxygen Separation

Distillation Column

Fluorine Deoxy Glucose

PET Imaging

MATLAB Software

Main Subjects