Recovery of antimony-125 from tin-124 irradiated by neutrons

Abstract

Separation of 12sSb from tin using highly basic, medium-basic, and weakly basic ion-exchangers was studied. The best results were obtained for AN-31 weakly basic anion exchanger. The yield of 125Sb was 95 -98 % of the initial activity, the yield of tin, 98 + 0.5% of the initial amount. The separation coefficient is 106-107 for one cycle. A procedure based on ion exchange was developed.Extraction procedures of separation of 125Sb from tin were studied. Isoamyl alcohol, ethyl acetate, and di-n-butyl ether were used as extracting agents. The most efficient extracting agent is di-n-butyl ether. Carrier-free radiochemically pure sample of 125Sb was produced. More than 20 mCi of the target product was recovered. The extraction recovery procedure of 125Sb has been developed.

28 Radiochemistry

“…The bombardment of a silver target with a boron-11 beam generates 37 isotopes of indium ( 111 In), tellurium ( 116 Te and 117 Te) and antimony ( 116,116m,117 Sb). A heavier isotope, antimony-125, results 38 from the neutron irradiation of tin-124. Another by-product of the purification of molybdenum-99 is iodine-131, if silver coated alumina is used 39 to extract these isotopes from alkaline solution.…”