Method for separation of chemically pure Os from metal mixtures

• US 10,087,503 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2016
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Curators of the University of Missouri (University of Missouri)
• Original Assignee: Curators of the University of Missouri (University of Missouri)
• Inventors: Engelbrecht, Hendrik P., Cutler, Cathy S., Manson, Leonard, Wilder, Stacy Lynn
• Primary Examiner(s): Bos, Steven J
• Application Number:
  US15/352,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20170058381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 423 2, 423 22, 4235921
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 47/00 Compounds of rhenium
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 55/00 Compounds of ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, or platinum
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 55/001 Preparation involving a liquid-liquid extraction, an adsorption or an ion-exchange
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 55/004 Oxides; Hydroxides
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 11/04 by wet processes extraction of metal compounds by leaching in organic solutions C22B3/16; treatment or purification of solutions by liquid-liquid extraction C22B3/26
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 11/042 Recovery of noble metals from waste materials
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 34/00 Obtaining refractory metals
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 61/00 Obtaining metals not elsewhere provided for in this subclass iron C21
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 7/001 Dry processes
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 7/006 Wet processes
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 7/009 General processes for recovering metals or metallic compounds from spent catalysts for recovering specific metals C22B11/00 - C22B61/00
• CPC Class Codes: C25C 1/06 or iron group metals, refractory metals or manganese
• CPC Class Codes: G21G 1/001 Recovery of specific isotopes from irradiated targets
• CPC Class Codes: G21G 1/10 by bombardment with electrically charged particles irradiation devices G21K5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G21G 2001/0073 Rhenium
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/20 Recycling

Abstract

A method for separating an amount of osmium from a mixture containing the osmium and at least one other additional metal is provided. In particular, method for forming and trapping OsO₄ to separate the osmium from a mixture containing the osmium and at least one other additional metal is provided.

Claims

1. A method of producing an amount of chemically pure Re-186 isotope, comprising:

irradiating a metal target comprising an amount of isotopically enriched osmium isotope consisting of Os-189, Os-192, or a combination thereof in a thermal proton flux to form a mixture comprising at least one osmium isotope and at least one additional metal comprising the Re-186 isotope;

contacting the mixture with an oxidizing solution to form a volatile OsO₄ vapor comprising the at least one osmium isotope;

distilling the OsO₄ vapor from the oxidizing solution to form a second solution comprising the Re-186 isotope dissolved in the oxidizing solution; and

separating the Re-186 isotope from the second solution.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the Re-186 isotope is separated from the second solution using a method selected from the group consisting of contacting the second solution with a reducing agent, contacting the second solution with a chromatographic column, and electroplating the at least one metal from the second solution.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the Re-186 isotope is separated from the second solution by contacting the second solution with an alumina chromatographic column and eluting the Re-186 with a saline solution.