Eichrom's ABEC trademark resins: Alkaline radioactive waste treatment, radiopharmaceutical, and potential hydrometallurgical applications

Eichrom's ABEC trademark resins selectivity extract certain anions from high ionic strength acidic, neutral, or strongly alkaline media, and solute stripping can be accomplished by eluting with water. ABEC resins are stable to pH extreme and radiolysis and operate in high ionic strength and/or alkaline solutions where anion-exchange is often ineffective. Potential applications of the ABEC materials include heavy metal and ReO4- separations in hydrometallurgy and purification of perrhenate iodide, and iodate in radiopharmaceutical production. Separation of 99mTcO4- from its 99MoO42- parent and stripping with water or physiological saline solution have been demonstrated for radiopharmaceutical applications. Removal of 99TcO4- and 129I- from alkaline tank wastes has also been successfully demonstrated. The authors will discuss the scale-up studies, process-scale testing, and market development of this new extraction material