Production and separation of carrier free 54Mn radiochemical from neutron irradiated Fe2O3

54Mn, a reference standard required for calibration of radiation detectors and as a X-ray source is produced by (n,p) reaction on 54Fe by neutron irradiation of natural Fe2O3 target. Radiochemical separation of 54Mn from co-produced 59Fe and 60Co radionuclides and bulk iron was studied by a combination of anion exchange and solvent extraction in hydrochloric acid media to recover the respective radiochemicals. Preliminary uptake studies were carried out on the Dowex 1x8 anion exchanger and solvent extraction in diisopropyl ether using respective radiotracers at different hydrochloric acid concentrations to optimise the conditions of radiochemical separation of the individual radioisotopes produced. (author)