Production and separation of no-carrier-added thallium isotopes from proton irradiated natHg 2Cl 2 matrix

Abstract

For the first time, natHg 2Cl 2 target has been used to produce no-carrier-added—NCA 197,198,198m,199,200,201Tl radionuclides using natHg(p,xn) reaction. Liquid–liquid extraction technique was employed in order to separate radiothallium from the bulk mercury matrix using liquid anion exchanger trioctylamine (TOA) dissolved in cyclohexane. In order to verify the presence of stable Hg in Tl fraction, the entire process was repeated with stable salts of Hg and Tl and the extent of separation was examined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). High separation factors were observed both by radiometric and ICP-OES technique when 0.1 M HNO 3 and 0.1 M TOA were used as aqueous and organic phase, respectively. The Hg contamination was less than 0.3 ppm in the aqueous phase containing Tl after three times of extraction at the optimal condition.