Methods for separating medical isotopes using ionic liquids

US8865094B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• UT-BATTELLE, LLC · US

Inventors

• Huimin Luo · Knoxville, US
• Rose Ann Boll · Knoxville, US
• Jason Bell · Midlothian, US
• Sheng Dai · Knoxville, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 13, 2012
• Grant date: Oct 21, 2014
• Expiry date: Jan 3, 2033

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P10/20
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A method for extracting a radioisotope from an aqueous solution, the method comprising: a) intimately mixing a non-chelating ionic liquid with the aqueous solution to transfer at least a portion of said radioisotope to said non-chelating ionic liquid; and b) separating the non-chelating ionic liquid from the aqueous solution. In preferred embodiments, the method achieves an extraction efficiency of at least 80%, or a separation factor of at least 1×104 when more than one radioisotope is included in the aqueous solution. In particular embodiments, the method is applied to the separation of medical isotopes pairs, such as Th from Ac (Th-229/Ac-225, Ac-227/Th-227), or Ra from Ac (Ac-225 and Ra-225, Ac-227 and Ra-223), or Ra from Th (Th-227 and Ra-223, Th-229 and Ra-225).