Ion-exchange separation of radioiodine and its application to production of 124I by alpha particle induced reactions on antimony.

The basic parameters related to radiochemical separation of iodine from tellurium and antimony by anion-exchange chromatography using the resin Amberlyst A26 were studied. The separation yield of ¹²⁴I amounted to 96% and the decontamination factor from ¹²¹Te and ¹²²Sb was > 10⁴. The method was applied to the production of ¹²⁴I via the ¹²³Sb( α, 3 n) reaction. In an irradiation of 110 mg of ^natSb₂O₃ (thickness ∼ 0.08 g/cm²) with 38 MeV α-particles at 1.2 μA beam current for 4 h, corresponding to the beam energy range of E _α = 37 → 27 MeV, the batch yield of ¹²⁴I obtained was 12.42 MBq and the ¹²⁵I and ¹²⁶I impurities amounted to 3.8% and 0.7%, respectively. The experimental batch yield of ¹²⁴I amounted to 80% of the theoretically calculated value but the level of the radionuclidic impurities were in agreement with the theoretical values. About 96% of the radioiodine was in the form of iodide and the inactive impurities (Te, Sb, Sn) were below the permissible level. Due to the relatively high level of radionuclidic impurity the ¹²⁴I produced would possibly be useful only for restricted local consumption or for animal experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]