Contribution to the production of Gallium 67 by means of the cyclotron of the University of Liege

In order to detect the cancer disease, it is particularly interesting to use a radiotracer, the 67 gallium. Indeed, this isotope enjoys the property to be trapped by some cancerous tumours. The isotopic production of the gallium-67 may be obtained by irradation in our cyclotron of zinc, natural or enriched, targets. This production requires especially several conditions concerning the geometry, the purity, the physical and chemical properties. Our experimental research has perfected suitable zinc targets by means of the electrochemistry of various galvanoplastic solutions. The results emphasize the particular interest of hydrogen overvoltage in sulphate solutions. Furthermore, the chemical separation of the zinc and the gallium is carried out by electrochemical oxidizing dissolution and by an anionic absorption flow sheet. (author)