DOE Isotope Program and QSA Global Inc. partner for domestic production of iridium-192

Ir-192 Product Development Agreement image

Ir-192 Product Development Agreement image

OAK RIDGE, Tenn.-- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Isotope Program and QSA Global Inc. announced a joint product development agreement to initiate domestic production of iridium-192 (Ir-192), a critical isotope for industrial gamma ray radiography.

The U.S. has been dependent on supply from foreign countries for this critical radioisotope for the last 20 years since DOE exited the market. This agreement will lead to the re-establishment of domestic Ir-192 production, thereby mitigating U.S. dependence on foreign sources.

Ir-192 serves as a gamma source essential for industrial radiographic non-destructive testing to detect structural damage to metal parts such as castings, forgings, and weld defects. Industrial gamma radiography plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality of manufacturing processes, particularly in sectors such as shipbuilding, auto manufacturing, and aerospace. Additionally, it is instrumental in performing on-site integrity assessments of oil and gas pipelines. This type of quality assessment is indispensable for upholding the reliability of U.S. infrastructure and supporting defense applications.

"Part of the mission of the DOE Isotope Program is to reduce U.S. dependency on foreign supply. We are extremely pleased to work with QSA Global Inc. to re-establish a U.S. supply of this critical radioisotope to promote stability to an otherwise fragile supply chain,” said Dr. Jehanne Gillo, Director of the DOE Isotope Program.

Within the scope of the agreement, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) will collaborate with QSA Global Inc. to finalize a reactor target design and prepare associated packaging and transportation procedures for shipment of targets back to QSA. The goal of the QSA and the DOE Isotope Program is to begin routine irradiations with new product for high-priority domestic applications in 2024. 

“We appreciate our long-term, reliable supply of isotopes from the DOE Isotope Program and look forward to adding Ir-192 to the list. This will strengthen the supply chain, benefit domestic manufacturing, and strengthen U.S. energy independence for the future,” said Jake Bourn, Vice President, General Manager of QSA Global.

 
For further information visit isotopes.gov. For any media inquiries, please contact Jacob Haskew at haskewjr@ornl.gov.
 
About the Department of Energy Isotope Program
The Department of Energy Isotope Program (DOE IP), within the Office of Science, produces critical radioactive and stable isotopes in short supply for the nation or that no domestic entity has the infrastructure or core competency
to produce. The Program is typically the only, or one of few, global producers for these novel isotopes. Isotopes
are high-priority commodities of strategic importance for the nation and are essential in medical diagnosis and
treatment, discovery science, national security, industrial processes and manufacturing, space exploration and
communications, biology, archeology, quantum science and other fields. Isotopes can directly enable emerging
technology, and contribute to the economic, technical, and scientific strength of the United States.
 
 
About QSA Global, Inc.
QSA Global, Inc. is based in Burlington, Massachusetts and is a leading manufacturer of high-performance sealed radioisotope sources supplied to the industrial gamma radiography industry, including those utilizing Ir-192.