US 8,715,598 B2 · Method for the purification of radium from different sources

Abstract

The invention is directed to a method for the purification of Radium, in particular 226Ra, for target preparation for an essentially pure 225Ac production from available radioactive sources, using an extraction chromatography in order to separate chemically similar elements such as Ba, Sr, and Pb from the desired Ra; wherein said extraction chromatography has an extractant system on the basis of a crown ether. The invention is related to a method for recycling of 226Ra, for target preparation for 225Ac production from radium sources irradiated with accelerated protons (p,2n), after separation of the produced 225Ac. In this method a combination of the above extraction chromatography and a cation exchange chromatography is used. The obtained 226Ra is essentially free of the following chemical contaminants consisting of Ag, Al, As, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Sr, V, Zn, and Ba.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A method for purifying radium (Ra) for target preparation for 225Ac production from a radioactive source, the method comprising:

a) determining the quality of the radium material to be purified;
b) contacting the radioactive source with a diluted mineral acid such that radium is leached from the radioactive source into the diluted mineral acid to generate a leached pool;
c) separating radium from Al, Mg, Co, Ni, Zn and Fe in the leached pool with an acidic macroporous type cation exchange resin having about 35% porosity to generate a first set of one or more radium containing fractions;
d) separating radium from Ba, Sr, and Pb in the first set of one or more radium-containing fractions by extraction chromatography with an Sr Resin to generate a second set of one or more radium-containing fractions;
e) pooling the radium-containing fractions generated in step d);
and
f) concentrating the pooled Ra-containing fractions to generate purified Ra-containing fractions.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method for the purification of radium from different sources

Life of this patent

Method for the purification of radium from different sources

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25