Perchloric acid: A promising medium for the chromatographic separation of 90Y from 90Sr

Abstract There is growing demand to develop efficient separation methods to produce high purity 90 Y (required for radiopharmaceutical applications) from the secular equilibrium mixture of 90 Sr– 90 Y. Studies for the chromatographic separation of 90 Y from 90 Sr using ditertiarybutyl dicyclohexano 18-crown-6 (Sr-selective resin) and N,N,N′,N′-tetraoctyldiglycolamide (Y-selective resin) sequentially were performed in HNO 3 , HCl and HClO 4 media. Batch studies for distribution coefficient data and column studies for chemical separation were carried out under conditions of varying acidity and varying metal ion concentration. Experiments were carried out on tracers (radioactive/stable) in a wide range of acidity (pH 2–5 M). Distribution coefficient values of Sr(II) in Sr-selective resin and of Y(III) in Y-selective resin were distinctly larger and of Sr(II) in DGA-resin were distinctly lower in perchloric acid medium as compared to those in nitric acid/hydrochloric acid media suggesting that former is distinctly a better medium for the production of high purity 90 Y. The mechanism of extraction changes with the nature and concentration of acid as well as with the metal ion concentration.