TRIGA IPR-R1 Reactor

The TRIGA IPR-R1 reactor is a multipurpose tool par excellence, with applications in education and training, research and radioisotope production – hence its original name, Training, Research, Isotopes, General Atomic. Acquired by the government of the State of Minas Gerais in 1960, it is a unique and pioneering facility in the country, the nucleus around which the Institute of Radioactive Research (IPR) of the School of Engineering of the Federal University of Minas Gerais was formed, the precursor organization of the CDTN.

Over the years, the reactor has been used for a variety of purposes, from iodine irradiation for health applications to large-scale analysis of mineral samples, as well as the production of radioisotopes for industrial applications and tracers for environmental studies. The Research Reactor Operator Training Course (CTORP) was a pioneer in training operators for the Angra nuclear power plants and can still be offered on demand today.

The most recent focus has been on irradiating samples for analysis using the Neutron Activation technique, research into new substances with potential uses in health and radiopharmacy, production of sources and education in nuclear technology. The reactor is available to both CDTN researchers and students in its postgraduate program and to researchers and students from other partner institutions, as well as external customers.

Contacts can be made with the head of the Reactor Technology Service - SETRE or directly with the senior operators: Luiz Cláudio Andrade Souza or Daniel Campolina.

Visits by students over 16 years of age and other interested parties can also be scheduled through the CDTN Logistics Service.