Recent studies on Ca isotope separation by crown-ether resin chromatography

Benzo-18-crown-6 ether resin was synthesized with the carrier of porous fine silica beads. By using synthesized crown ether resin packed in glass columns, ⁴⁸Ca enrichment was studied. A high speed chromatography experiment was conducted at the band migration speed of 48 m day⁻¹. In spite of the high speed of migration, enrichment of ⁴⁸Ca was observed at the front boundary of the displacement type chromatography. Comparing with previously reported experiments of 1 m 3 m and 200 m migrations, we confirmed that separation coefficient ε slightly decreases with increase in the band velocity. In addition, the enriched zone was found to increase with increase in the migration length. The observed relation shows that the width of the enriched zone is proportional to square root of the migration length. (author)