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Title: Method of separating short half-life radionuclides from a mixture of radionuclides

Patent ·
OSTI ID:335445

The present invention is a method of removing an impurity of plutonium, lead or a combination thereof from a mixture of radionuclides that contains the impurity and at least one parent radionuclide. The method has the steps of (a) insuring that the mixture is a hydrochloric acid mixture; (b) oxidizing the acidic mixture and specifically oxidizing the impurity to its highest oxidation state; and (c) passing the oxidized mixture through a chloride form anion exchange column whereupon the oxidized impurity absorbs to the chloride form anion exchange column and the {sup 229}Th or {sup 227}Ac ``cow`` radionuclide passes through the chloride form anion exchange column. The plutonium is removed for the purpose of obtaining other alpha emitting radionuclides in a highly purified form suitable for medical therapy. In addition to plutonium, lead, iron, cobalt, copper, uranium, and other metallic cations that form chloride anionic complexes that may be present in the mixture are removed from the mixture on the chloride form anion exchange column. 8 figs.

Research Organization:
Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, OH (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC06-76RL01830
Assignee:
Battelle Memorial Inst., Richland, WA (United States)
Patent Number(s):
US 5,885,465/A/
Application Number:
TRN: 99:004577
OSTI ID:
335445
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 23 Mar 1999
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (2)

The gamma-ray spectrum of 227Th journal August 1968
Residue adsorption—III journal November 1969