Separation of carrier-free^115mIn from¹¹⁵Cd and¹³²I from¹³²Te over the zirconium oxide column

Abstract

A new way of radiochemical separation of carrier-free^115mIn from¹¹⁵Cd and¹³²I from¹³²Te over the column of zirconium oxide is described. Activities of Cd and In in equilibrium in dilute acetic acid solution were bufferred with dilute sodium acetate and fed into the column at a pH 7, when cadmium activity passed out unadsorbed and the^115mIn was adsorbed in the column. A study of the γ-ray peak of the separated^115mIn showed that the product is of high radionuclidic purity. Te-I pair was separated by passing the weakly acidic solution of¹³²Te and¹³²I in the presence of AgNO₃ and Na₂SO₃, through the column where both activities were adsorbed. Iodine was washed outh with 5% sodium thiosulphate solution and the retained tellurium activity was later washed out with 6M HNO₃. The β-decay study showed that the separated¹³²I product is of high radiochemical purity. The processes took less than half an hour and the yields were quantitative.