The application of electroreduction of europium in the production of gadolinium-153
The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is presently producing /sup 153/Gd by the neutron irradiation of normal europium in the form of Eu/sub 2/O/sub 3/. The resulting europium-to-gadolinium weight ratio produced after a one-cycle (approximately 21 days) irradiation of normal europium in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) approaches 17. To achieve the required greater than or equal to99.99% radiochemical purity of the /sup 153/Gd product and to achieve a respectable yield, the gadolinium must be quantitatively separated from the europium. This is achieved in a two-step process. First, the bulk (90 to 95%) of the europium is removed by the selective electroreduction of Eu(III) to Eu(II) using zinc electrodes in an electrolytic cell that contains H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/. Efficient europium removal is achieved in 4 h at a current density of 14.9 mA/cm/sup 2/. The remaining europium is separated from the gadolinium in a second step that involves the use of high-pressure ion exchange. The introduction of the electrolytic step in the /sup 153/Gd production process increased the process capacity by a factor of four and increased the /sup 153/Gd yield by greater than or equal to70%. 7 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 6807029
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL/TM-10284; ON: DE87005281
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
400703* -- Radiochemistry & Nuclear Chemistry-- Radioisotope Production
BARYON REACTIONS
BETA DECAY
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CAPTURE
CHALCOGENIDES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DECAY
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
EUROPIUM 153 TARGET
EUROPIUM 157
EUROPIUM COMPOUNDS
EUROPIUM ISOTOPES
EUROPIUM OXIDES
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
GADOLINIUM 153
GADOLINIUM ISOTOPES
HADRON REACTIONS
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOTOPE PRODUCTION
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
ISOTOPES
NEUTRON REACTIONS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEI
NUCLEON REACTIONS
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOISOTOPES
RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS
RARE EARTH ISOTOPES
RARE EARTH NUCLEI
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TARGETS