Method of manufacturing essentially non-carrier-added high-purity 177 Lu compounds for medicinal purposes from 176 Yb compounds irradiated with thermal neutrons, wherein the end products of neutron irradiation, which essentially contain a mixture of 177 Lu and 176 Yb in an approximate mass ratio of 1:10 2 to 1:10 10, are used as base materials, wherein base materials that are insoluble in water are converted into a soluble form by way of mineral acids, and wherein the method comprises the following steps: a) loading a first column packed with cation exchange material, with the base materials solved in mineral acid and containing 177 Lu and 176 Yb in an approximate mass ratio of 1:10 2 to 1:10 10; exchanging the protons of the cation exchange material for ammonium ions, thereby using an NH 4 Cl solution; and washing the cation exchange material of the first column with water; b) linking the outlet of the first column with the inlet of a second column that likewise is packed with a cation exchange material; c) applying a gradient of water and a chelating agent selected from the group consisting of: α-hydroxyisobutyrate [HIBA], citric acid, citrate, butyric acid, butyrate, EDTA, EGTA and ammonium ions, starting at 100% of H 2 0 to 0.2 M of the chelating agent on the inlet of the first column, so as to elute 177 Lu compounds from the first and second column; d) determining the radioactivity dose at the outlet of the second column in order to recognize the elution of 177 Lu compounds; and collecting a first 177 Lu eluate from the outlet of the second column in a vessel; and protonating the chelating agent so as to inactivate the same for the complex formation with 177 Lu ions; e) loading a final separation column packed with a cation exchange material by continuously conveying the acidic 177 Lu eluate of step d) to the inlet of the final separation column; washing out the chelating agent with diluted mineral acid of a concentration lower than approximately 0.1 M; removing traces of other metal ions from the 177 Lu solution by washing the cation exchange material of the final separation column with mineral acid of various concentrations in a range of approximately 0.1 to 2.5 M; f) eluting the 177 Lu ions from the final separation column by way of a highly concentrated mineral acid of approximately 3 to 12 M; collecting the high purity 177 Lu eluate in a vaporizer unit and removing the mineral acid by vaporization. a) loading a first column packed with cation exchange material, with the base materials solved in mineral acid and containing 177 Lu and 176 Yb in an approximate mass ratio of 1:10 2 to 1:10 10; exchanging the protons of the cation exchange material for ammonium ions, thereby using an NH 4 Cl solution; and washing the cation exchange material of the first column with water; b) linking the outlet of the first column with the inlet of a second column that likewise is packed with a cation exchange material; c) applying a gradient of water and a chelating agent selected from the group consisting of: α-hydroxyisobutyrate [HIBA], citric acid, citrate, butyric acid, butyrate, EDTA, EGTA and ammonium ions, starting at 100% of H 2 0 to 0.2 M of the chelating agent on the inlet of the first column, so as to elute 177 Lu compounds from the first and second column; d) determining the radioactivity dose at the outlet of the second column in order to recognize the elution of 177 Lu compounds; and collecting a first 177 Lu eluate from the outlet of the second column in a vessel; and protonating the chelating agent so as to inactivate the same for the complex formation with 177 Lu ions; e) loading a final separation column packed with a cation exchange material by continuously conveying the acidic 177 Lu eluate of step d) to the inlet of the final separation column; washing out the chelating agent with diluted mineral acid of a concentration lower than approximately 0.1 M; removing traces of other metal ions from the 177 Lu solution by washing the cation exchange material of the final separation column with mineral acid of various concentrations in a range of approximately 0.1 to 2.5 M; f) eluting the 177 Lu ions from the final separation column by way of a highly concentrated mineral acid of approximately 3 to 12 M; collecting the high purity 177 Lu eluate in a vaporizer unit and removing the mineral acid by vaporization.