Materials, Methods & Technologies, Volume 8, 2014

Abstract: 188Re extraction generator for medical purposes development results are presented. The main advantage of such generator is the possibility to use as starting material the tungsten oxide of natural isotope composition irradiated in reactor with mean neutron flux (1.0–1.4·1014 n⋅cm-2 ⋅s -1 ). The parent (188W) and daughter radionuclides were separated using centrifugal semicounter-current extractor developed at Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry Institute under RAS (Russian Acedemy of Sciences). In the course of simulated solution experiments, optimal operating conditions were established for 188Re production process. For this purpose, it is proposed to recover 188Re by methylethylketone from alkaline solution (2.5 M КОН + 2.5 M К2СО3) containing up to 200 g/l of W element. Methylethylketone is subsequently evaporated to dryness and residue is dissolved in isotonic solution of NaCl. An extraction generator model was built in hot cell; the process developed was then tested on radioactive solutions. The test has shown that the yield is 89% in the average and the radiochemical purity of 188Re solution is ~ 97%. The activity of 188W was less than 1·10-3 relative to that of 188Re. Activity of other radioisotopes was below 1·10-4 . The content of inorganic impurities in 188Re solution is determined only by the purity of aqueous solutions used for 188Re dissolution. The generator model may be recommended as a basis for creation of commercial prototype of 188Re extraction generator.