Medical therapies, using alpha-emitting isotopes, have shown significant results and the demand for these isotopes is rapidly increasing.  Alpha emitter Ra-223 (t1/2 = 11.4 d) is used for bone cancer pain palliation.   The only viable source of Ra-223 is beta decay of Ac-227 (t1/2 = 21.8 y) to Th-227 (t1/2 = 18.7 days) which alpha decays to Ra-223.   Recovery of the Ac-227 has been initiated at ORNL from stainless steel-encapsulated old actinium-beryllium neutron sources.  The encapsulation was mechanically breached and Ac-Be pellets were dissolved using nitric acid.  Exchange resin columns were used to separate the Ac-227 from beryllium and contaminants.  Purified Ac-227 will be maintained as a generator for production of isotopically-pure Th-227 and Ra-223.   Status of the two-year project will be presented and will include opening of the stainless steel encapsulation, dissolution of Ac-Be source material, column separations data, and recovery efficiencies for actinium.

Recovery of actinium-227 from legacy actinium-beryllium neutron sources

240th National Meeting (2010)

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