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Title: Separation of protactinum, actinium, and other radionuclides from proton irradiated thorium target

Abstract

Protactinium, actinium, radium, radiolanthanides and other radionuclide fission products were separated and recovered from a proton-irradiated thorium target. The target was dissolved in concentrated HCl, which formed anionic complexes of protactinium but not with thorium, actinium, radium, or radiolanthanides. Protactinium was separated from soluble thorium by loading a concentrated HCl solution of the target onto a column of strongly basic anion exchanger resin and eluting with concentrated HCl. Actinium, radium and radiolanthanides elute with thorium. The protactinium that is retained on the column, along with other radionuclides, is eluted may subsequently treated to remove radionuclide impurities to afford a fraction of substantially pure protactinium. The eluate with the soluble thorium, actinium, radium and radiolanthanides may be subjected to treatment with citric acid to form anionic thorium, loaded onto a cationic exchanger resin, and eluted. Actinium, radium and radiolanthanides that are retained can be subjected to extraction chromatography to separate the actinium from the radium and from the radio lanthanides.

Inventors:
;
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1436516
Patent Number(s):
9951399
Application Number:
14/681,320
Assignee:
Los Alamos National Security, LLC (Los Alamos, NM)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
C - CHEMISTRY C22 - METALLURGY C22B - PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02P - CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
DOE Contract Number:  
AC52-06NA25396
Resource Type:
Patent
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 2015 Apr 08
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY

Citation Formats

Fassbender, Michael E., and Radchenko, Valery. Separation of protactinum, actinium, and other radionuclides from proton irradiated thorium target. United States: N. p., 2018. Web.
Fassbender, Michael E., & Radchenko, Valery. Separation of protactinum, actinium, and other radionuclides from proton irradiated thorium target. United States.
Fassbender, Michael E., and Radchenko, Valery. Tue . "Separation of protactinum, actinium, and other radionuclides from proton irradiated thorium target". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1436516.
@article{osti_1436516,
title = {Separation of protactinum, actinium, and other radionuclides from proton irradiated thorium target},
author = {Fassbender, Michael E. and Radchenko, Valery},
abstractNote = {Protactinium, actinium, radium, radiolanthanides and other radionuclide fission products were separated and recovered from a proton-irradiated thorium target. The target was dissolved in concentrated HCl, which formed anionic complexes of protactinium but not with thorium, actinium, radium, or radiolanthanides. Protactinium was separated from soluble thorium by loading a concentrated HCl solution of the target onto a column of strongly basic anion exchanger resin and eluting with concentrated HCl. Actinium, radium and radiolanthanides elute with thorium. The protactinium that is retained on the column, along with other radionuclides, is eluted may subsequently treated to remove radionuclide impurities to afford a fraction of substantially pure protactinium. The eluate with the soluble thorium, actinium, radium and radiolanthanides may be subjected to treatment with citric acid to form anionic thorium, loaded onto a cationic exchanger resin, and eluted. Actinium, radium and radiolanthanides that are retained can be subjected to extraction chromatography to separate the actinium from the radium and from the radio lanthanides.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2018},
month = {4}
}

Works referenced in this record: