ACTINIUM RADIOISOTOPE PRODUCTS OF ENHANCED PURITY

• US 20060213329A1
• Filed: 04/03/2006
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance LLC (Battelle Memorial Institute)
• Original Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance LLC (Battelle Memorial Institute)
• Inventors: Tranter, Troy J., Todd, Terry A., Meikrantz, David H., Horwitz, E. Philip
• Granted Patent: US 7,736,610 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 75/393
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 3/26 by liquid-liquid extraction using organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 30/06 Obtaining bismuth
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 60/00 Obtaining metals of atomic number 87 or higher, i.e. radioactive metals
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 60/0295 obtaining other actinides except plutonium
• CPC Class Codes: G21G 4/00 Radioactive sources producing neutrons or other subatomic particles, X- or gamma rays, in fusion reactors G21B, in nuclear reactors G21C, by cosmic radiation G21H7/00, in accelerators H05H; X-ray tubes H01J35/00; gamma masers H01S4/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/20 Recycling

Abstract

A product includes actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac) and less than about 1 microgram (μg) of iron (Fe) per millicurie (mCi) of actinium-225. The product may have a radioisotopic purity of greater than about 99.99 atomic percent (at %) actinium-225 and daughter isotopes of actinium-225, and may be formed by a method that includes providing a radioisotope mixture solution comprising at least one of uranium-233 (²³³U) and thorium-229 (²²⁹Th), extracting the at least one of uranium-233 and thorium-229 into an organic phase, substantially continuously contacting the organic phase with an aqueous phase, substantially continuously extracting actinium-225 into the aqueous phase, and purifying the actinium-225 from the aqueous phase. In some embodiments, the product may include less than about 1 nanogram (ng) of iron per millicurie (mCi) of actinium-225, and may include less than about 1 microgram (μg) each of magnesium (Mg), Chromium (Cr), and manganese (Mn) per millicurie (mCi) of actinium-225.

Claims

1. A product comprising:

a quantity of actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac); and

less than about 1 microgram (μ

g) of iron (Fe) per millicurie (mCi) of actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac).

2. The product of claim 1, wherein the product further comprises a volume of liquid, the actinium-225 being suspended in the volume of liquid.

3. The product of claim 1, wherein the product comprises less than about 1 nanogram (ng) of iron (Fe) per millicurie (mCi) of actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac).

4. The product of claim 1, wherein the product further comprises less than about 10 micrograms (μ

g) of calcium (Ca) per millicurie (mCi) of actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac).

5. The product of claim 4, wherein the product further comprises less than about 0.1 micrograms (μ

g) of calcium (Ca) per millicurie (mCi) of actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac).

6. The product of claim 1, wherein the product further comprises less than about 1 microgram (μ

g) of each of magnesium (Mg), chromium (Cr), and manganese (Mn) per millicurie (mCi) of actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac).

7. The product of claim 6, wherein the product further comprises less than about 1 nanogram (ng) of each of magnesium (Mg), chromium (Cr), and manganese (Mn) per millicurie (mCi) of actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac).

8. The product of claim 1, wherein the product further comprises a quantity of at least one radioisotope in addition to actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac).

9. The product of claim 8, wherein the product has a radioisotopic purity that is greater than about 99.99 atomic percent (at %) actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac) and daughter isotopes of actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac).

10. A product having a radioisotopic purity of greater than about 99.99 atomic percent (at %) actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac) and daughter isotopes of actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac) and including less than about 1 microgram (μ

g) of iron (Fe) per millicurie (mCi) of actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac).

11. The product of claim 10, wherein the product comprises a liquid suspension.

12. The product of claim 10, wherein the product comprises less than about 1 nanogram (ng) of iron (Fe) per millicurie (mCi) of actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac).

13. The product of claim 10, wherein the product further comprises less than about 10 micrograms (μ

g) of calcium (Ca) per millicurie (mCi) of actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac).

14. The product of claim 13, wherein the product further comprises less than about 0.1 micrograms (μ

g) of calcium (Ca) per millicurie (mCi) of actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac).

15. The product of claim 10, wherein the product further comprises less than about 1 microgram (μ

g) of each of magnesium (Mg), chromium (Cr), and manganese (Mn) per millicurie (mCi) of actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac).

16. The product of claim 15, wherein the product further comprises less than about 1 nanogram (ng) of each of magnesium (Mg), chromium (Cr), and manganese (Mn) per millicurie (mCi) of actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac).

17. The product of claim 10, wherein the product further comprises a quantity of at least one radioisotope in addition to actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac).

18. A product having a radioisotopic purity of greater than about 99.99 atomic percent (at %) actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac) and daughter isotopes of actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac) and including less than about 1 microgram (μ

g) of iron (Fe) per millicurie (mCi) of actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac), the product formed by a method including;

providing a radioisotope mixture solution comprising at least one of uranium-233 (²³³U) and thorium-229 (²²⁹Th);

extracting the at least one of uranium-233 (²³³U) and thorium-229 (²²⁹Th) into an organic phase;

substantially continuously contacting the organic phase with an aqueous phase;

substantially continuously extracting actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac) into the aqueous phase; and

purifying the actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac) from the aqueous phase.

19. The product of claim 18, wherein the product comprises less than about 1 nanogram (ng) of iron (Fe) per millicurie (mCi) of actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac).

20. The product of claim 18, wherein the product further comprises less than about 1 microgram (μ

g) of each of magnesium (Mg), chromium (Cr), and manganese (Mn) per millicurie (mCi) of actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac).