No abstract

No abstract

In Argentina, at the Ezeiza Atomic Center, 13~I is produced by wet distillation of naturat tellurium dioxide irradiated with thermal neutrons in a pool-type reactor. In order to recover the 13~1 present in the production process of fission 99Mo obtained by irradiation of UAIJAI targets (with 90% enriched uranium) a separation method was developed, lodine isotopes can be separated from a sodium hydroxide solution containing fission products using a column filled with alternate beds of glass microspheres and porous metal silver. Tests with tracers were performed in radiochemical laboratory. Following this results, a series of tests with higher activities (3 TBq of 99Mo and 0.7 TBq of 131I) were carried out in hot cellsl Molybdenum passes through the silver column, while 131I retention was 92-97% in tracer test and 90% in optimised hot cell tests. This result depends on several facts that are discussed. An initial separation of iodine isotopes diminishes radiation damage on ion-exchange resin used in the subsequent molybdenum purification, improving its retention and elution yield.

No abstract

No abstract