Patent ID: 7101484
Filing Date: 2006-09-05
Classification: G21G

Abstract:
1. A process for separating radioactive isotope yttrium-90 from a stock solution containing radioactive strontium-90, , the stock solution having colloidal and suspended radioactive and chemical impurities, the process comprising: a. adjusting said stock solution composition by adding a calculated quantity of sodium chloride and alkaline, whereby the solution is brought to a NaCl concentration of approximately 1 mole/liter and has a pH in the range of 3.5 to 4.0; b. passing said adjusted stock solution through a first chromatographic column containing a first thermoxide-type sorbent; c. passing said adjusted stock solution through a second chromatographic column containing a second thermoxide sorbent, whereby colloidal, suspended and ion forms of radioactive and chemical impurities are held in said first and second thermoxide-type sorbents and a purified Sr-90 filtrate is passed into a Sr-90 filtrate tank; d. testing said purified Sr-90 filtrate for purity and passing it to a Sr-90 holding tank if purity requirements are met or re-passing it through said first and second thermoxide-type sorbents a second time; e. adjusting the pH of said purified Sr-90 filtrate in said Sr-90 holding tank to approximately 3 to 4; f. holding said purified Sr-90 filtrate in said Sr-90 holding tank to permit the ingrowth of Y-90 forming a Sr-90/Y-90 solution; g. passing said strontium-90/yttrium-90 solution through a third chromatographic column containing said first thermoxide-type sorbent, whereby Y-90 is preferentially sorbed while Sr-90 solution is passed through said third chromatographic column and held in an intermediate holding tank for subsequent reuse; h. washing said first thermoxide-type sorbent of the third chromatographic column with a NaCl solution to thereby remove any remaining traces of Sr-90 and thereafter passing said NaCl solution to a waste tank; i. washing said first thermoxide-type sorbent of the third chromatographic column with a distilled water solution to thereby remove any remaining NaCl and thereafter passing said water solution to said waste tank; j. eluting the Y-90 from said first thermoxide-type sorbent of the third chromatographic column with HCl acid and accumulating the acidic Y-90 solution in a first Y-90 tank; k. passing said acidic Y-90 solution after pH correction from the first Y-90 tank through a fourth chromatographic column containing said first thermoxide-type sorbent, whereby Y-90 is preferentially sorbed by said sorbent; l. repeating said h, i, and j steps while accumulating the acidic Y-90 solution in a second Y-90 tank, this Y-90 solution constituting the final product.