Radiochemical separation of ⁶⁷Ga from irradiated Zn target by TBP-St-DVB extraction chromatography

Extractive chromatography for radioactive separation of ⁶⁷Ga from Zn was developed using TBP-St-DVB extractant polymer resin which was prepared from tri-butyl phosphate (TBP), styrene (St) and di-vinyl benzene (DVB) by suspension polymerization. Under the static condition, Ga extraction capacity of extractant resin, time needed to reach an extraction equilibrium of Ga and Zn (mixed), Ga (alone) to extractant resin and were determined. Under the dynamic condition, distribution coefficient of Ga and Zn was higher than static condition and column equilibrium constants of Ga and Zn were 331.1 and 1.3 (one of Ga was 254.7 times higher than one of Zn). And extraction kinetics for separation of ⁶⁷GaCl₃ from Zinc target exposed to ion beam accelerator was studied. On an extraction chromatography column, while kinetic process of Ga extraction could be assumed to be simultaneous process of film diffusion and gel diffusion, activation energy of Ga extractive reaction on the column was E* = 14.92 kJ mol^-1. (author)