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Examples of apparatus and methods for transmutation of an element are disclosed. An apparatus can include a neutron emitter configured to emit neutrons with a neutron output, a neutron moderator configured to reduce the average energy of the neutron output to produce a moderated neutron output, a ta

Examples of apparatus and methods for transmutation of an element are disclosed. An apparatus can include a neutron emitter configured to emit neutrons with a neutron output, a neutron moderator configured to reduce the average energy of the neutron output to produce a moderated neutron output, a target configured to absorb neutrons when exposed to the moderated neutron output, the absorption of the neutrons by the target producing a transmuted element, and an extractor configured to extract the desired element. A method can include producing a neutron output, reducing the average energy of the neutron output with a neutron moderator to produce a moderated neutron output, absorbing neutrons from the moderated neutron output with the target to generate a transmuted element, and eluting a solution through the target to extract a desired element. In some examples, the target includes molybdenum-98, and the desired element includes technetium-99m.

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1. An apparatus for the generation of technetium-99m from molybdenum-98, the apparatus comprising: a neutron generator configured to emit neutrons with a neutron output;a neutron moderator having a diameter D1 and configured to reduce an average energy of the neutron output to produce a moderated ne

1. An apparatus for the generation of technetium-99m from molybdenum-98, the apparatus comprising: a neutron generator configured to emit neutrons with a neutron output;a neutron moderator having a diameter D1 and configured to reduce an average energy of the neutron output to produce a moderated neutron output, the neutron moderator comprising a neutron multiplier to increase the number of neutrons in the neutron output, the neutron moderator comprising lead;a plurality of sections having a diameter D2 and comprising molybdenum-containing material configured to absorb neutrons when exposed to the moderated and multiplied neutron output, the molybdenum-containing material comprising powdered molybdenum dioxide, the absorption of the neutrons by the molybdenum-containing material producing molybdenum-99 from molybdenum-98;a manifold configured to flow an eluting solution comprising saline through the powdered molybdenum dioxide in each of the plurality of sections; andan extractor configured to receive the eluting solution after flowing through each of the plurality of sections and to extract technetium-99m. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the neutron output comprises neutrons produced at a rate of about 1×1010 to about 1×1015 neutrons per second. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the average energy of the neutron output is about 2.4 MeV to about 14 MeV. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the neutron moderator substantially surrounds the neutron generator. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the diameter D1 is selected such that an energy of the moderated neutron output is in a range from about 1 keV to about 100 keV. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the diameter D2 is selected such that the energy of the moderated neutron output is in a range from about 100 eV to about 1000 eV. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the extractor further comprises a chromatography system, a vacuum filtration system, a centrifuge system, a vacuum evaporation system, gravity filtration system, or a combination thereof. 8. An apparatus for transmutation of molybdenum-98, the apparatus comprising: a neutron emitter configured to emit neutrons with a neutron output, wherein the neutron output comprises neutrons produced at a rate of about 1×1010 to about 1×1015 neutrons per second;a neutron moderator configured to reduce an average energy of the neutron output to produce a moderated neutron output;molybdenum-containing material configured to absorb neutrons when exposed to the moderated neutron output, the absorption of the neutrons by the molybdenum-containing material producing molybdenum-99 from molybdenum-98, the molybdenum-containing material comprising powered molybdenum dioxide; andan extractor configured to extract technetium-99m;wherein a leak neutron capture cross-section of the molybdenum-containing material is at about 300 to about 500 eV,a thickness of the neutron moderator is sufficient to reduce the energy of the neutron output to a level where a neutron capture cross-section of the molybdenum-containing material is above a first threshold of greater than about 1% of the peak cross-section, anda thickness of the molybdenum-containing material is sufficient to reduce the energy of the moderated neutron output to a level where the neutron capture cross-section of the molybdenum-containing material is above a second threshold, the second threshold above the first threshold, the second threshold near the peak cross-section. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the neutron emitter comprises a neutron generator. 10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the average energy of the neutron output is about 2.4 MeV to about 14 MeV. 11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the neutron moderator comprises lead, bismuth, tungsten, thorium, uranium, depleted uranium, water, deuterium oxide, beryllium, carbon, polyethylene, or combinations thereof. 12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the extractor comprises a chromatography system, a vacuum filtration system, a centrifuge system, a vacuum evaporation system, gravity filtration system, or a combination thereof. 13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein transmuted molybdenum-99 spontaneously decays to produce the desired technetium-99m. 14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sections comprises aluminum.