Process for the separation and purification of scandium medical isotopes
The invention provides a method for isolating scandium, the method having the steps of dissolving titanium nuclear targets to create a solution; contacting the solution with a resin so as to retain scandium on the resin and generate an eluent containing titanium; contacting the scandium-containing resin with acid of a first concentration to remove impurities from the resin; and contacting the scandium-containing resin with an acid of a second concentration to remove scandium from the resin.
1. A method for isolating Sc-47, the method comprising:
a. dissolving irradiated targets in sulfuric acid to create a solution;
b. contacting the solution with a resin so as to retain the Sc-47 on the resin and generate an eluent containing titanium;
c. contacting the Sc-47-containing resin with acid of a first concentration to remove impurities from the resin, wherein the resin comprises normal diglycolamides or branched diglycolamides; and
d. contacting the Sc-47-containing resin with an acid of a second concentration to remove the isotopes Sc-47 from the resin.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first concentration is higher than the second concentration.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the method uses only a single resin bed.
4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the Sc-47is subjected to filtration.
5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the Sc-47 has a purity value of greater than 95 percent.
6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the targets comprise titanium and Sc-47 and said Sc-47is isolated in about two hours having a purity of greater than 95 percent.
7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the targets are first subjected to radiation.
8. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the radiation is an ionizing radiation source selected from the group consisting of a linear accelerator, a nuclear reactor, cyclotrons, or combinations thereof.
9. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the resin is regenerated with sulfuric acid after the Sc-47 is removed.
10. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the acid of a first concentration is a mineral acid selected from the group consisting of nitric acid, hydrochloric acid and combinations thereof.
11. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the dissolving step utilizes sulfuric acid and the solution comprises a mineral acid selected from the group consisting of hydrofluoric acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid and combinations thereof.
12. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein one of ambient, or positive, or negative pressure is applied to the resin.
13. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the targets comprise heterogeneous bulk material.
14. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the targets comprise homogeneous bulk material.
15. A method for isolating Sc-47, the method comprising:
a. dissolving irradiated targets in hydrofluoric acid to create a solution;
b. adding bisulfate ion to the solution;
c. contacting the solution with a resin so as to retain the Sc-47 on the resin and generate an eluent containing titanium;
d. contacting the Sc-47-containing resin with acid of a first concentration to remove impurities from the resin, wherein the resin comprises normal diglycolamides or branched diglycolamides; and
e. contacting the Sc-47-containing resin with an acid of a second concentration to remove the isotopes from the resin.