Speaker
Prof.
Tjaart Nicolaas (Nico) van der Walt
(Cape Peninsula University of Technology)
Description
The production possibility of different copper radionuclides has been investigated by several groups[1-7]. Szelecsényi et al.[8] measured new cross-section data for the 66Zn(p,2pn)64Cu and 68Zn(p,x)64Cu nuclear processes from their respective threshold energies up to 100 MeV and concluded that both processes are suitable for the routine production of 64Cu. A 66Zn target and a 68Zn target can be used, respectively, in the energy windows 70 → 35 MeV and 37 → 10 MeV for the production of 64Cu. At iThemba LABS a natZn target is bombarded with the 66 MeV proton beam for the routine production of 64Cu (and 67Ga).
Various methods have been published for the separation of Cu from Zn[1,9-11]. An improved method is presented for the selective purification of Cu radionuclides (specifically 64Cu) from gram amounts of zinc using an ion exchange column containing 5.0 mL XAD-8 which had been impregnated with dithizone (diphenylthiocarbazone). 64Cu was recovered from the 67Ga waste solution which contained ca 8 g Zn. The waste solution was evaporated to dryness and the salts dissolved in 0.05 M HCl (ca pH 2) and passed through the ion exchange column, which had been equilibrated with 0.05 M HCl, Zn was eluted with 0.05 M HCl. Particular attention was paid to the development of optimal elution profiles using respectively 10 M HNO3, 3 M HNO3 and 5 M HCl-1% H2O2.
References
1. T. Stoll, S. Kastleiner, Yu. N.Shubin, H.H. Coenen, S.M. Qaim, Radiochim. Acta 90 (2002) 309.
2. F.Szelecsényi, Z. Kovács, T.N van der Walt, G.F. Steyn, K. Suzuki, K. Okada, Appl. Radiat. Isot. 58 (2003) 377.
3. K.Hilgers, T.Stoll, Y. Skakun, H.H Coenen, S.M Qaim, Appl. Radiat. Isot. 59 (2003) 343.
4. M.L. Bonardi, F. Groppi, C. Biratarri, L. Gini, C. Mainardi, A. Ghioni, E. Menapace, K. Abbas, U. Hotzwarth, M.F. Stroosnijder, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 257 (2003) 229.
5. F. Tárkányi, S. Takács, F. Ditrói, A. Hermanne, M. Sonck, Yu. Subin, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. B 217 (2004) 531.
6. F.Szelecsényi, Z.Kovács, K. Suzuki, K. Okada, T.N van der Walt, G.F. Steyn, S. Mukherjee, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 263 (2005) 539.
7. M.L. Bonardi, F. Groppi, H.S. Mainardi, V.M. Kokhanyuk, E.V. Lapsina, M.V. Mebel, B.L. Zhuikov, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 264 (2005) 101.
8. F.Szelecsényi, G.F. Steyn, Z.Kovács, C. Vermeulen, N.P. van der Meulen, S.G. Dolley, T.N van der Walt, K. Suzuki, K. Mukai, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics B 240 (2005) 625.
9. F.W.E. Strelow, Talanta 35 (1988) 385.
10. R. Scharczbach, K. Zimmermann, P. Blauenstein, A. Smith, P.A. Schubiger, Appl. Radiat. Isot. 46 (1995) 329.
11. C. Naidoo, T.N. van der Walt, Appl. Radiat. Isot. 54 (2001) 915.
Author
Prof.
Tjaart Nicolaas (Nico) van der Walt
(Cape Peninsula University of Technology)
Co-authors
Dr
Nicholas van der Meulen
(iThemba LABS)
Mr
Stuart Dolley
(Cape mPeninsula University of Technology / iThemba LABS)
