GB639265A - An improved process for the separation and recovery of radio active isotopes of elements and the decay products thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A process for the selective separation and recovery of radioactive decay products from elements, particularly those of high mass or atomic numbers such as uranium and thorium, comprises forming a salt such as the nitrate or acetate of the element, passing a solution of said salt through a column of synthetic organic cation exchange material, e.g. the reaction product of formaldehyde with a phenol or substituted phenol, having exchangeable non-radioactive or relatively non-radioactive cations such as hydrogen, sodium or calcium, continuing the passage of the salt solution to effect separation of the more strongly radioactive elements by ion-exchange with those of lesser or non-radioactive properties absorbed originally from the salt solution, and finally recovering the radioactive materials from the ion exchange material. Recovery may be by treatment with an acid, base, salt or basic salt, or by oxidizing the exchange material with say nitric acid. The concentration of the salt solution employed may vary from extreme dilution to 1N or more. The cation material may be used in its natural form or it may be first treated with an acid, salt, base or basic salt. Examples relate to the treatment of uranium nitrate and thorium nitrate solutions; the results of a Geiger-Muller count on oxides precipitated respectively from the original solution and the effluent solution, and on successive portions of the exchange column are tabulated.