A carrier-free 89Sr source
has been produced in FBTR,
IGCAR, Kalpakkam, via 89Y (n, p)89Sr for application
in nuclear medicine, especially for bone pain palliation. Purification
of 89Sr from an FBTR irradiated Y target by the supported
liquid membrane (SLM) technique offers several advantages due to its
bulk-scale production. Crown ether-based SLM separation with a modifier
was standardized for the purification of 89Sr from the
bulk irradiated Y matrix and other impurities of activated products
(60Co, 65Zn). Various process parameters such
as concentration of the extractant, modifier, soaking time of the
membrane with the extractant, acidity in the feed chamber, and stirring
speed were studied for the optimum transport condition. Long-duration
transport experiments were then carried out with the optimum parameters
with a tracer mixture and transported from the FBTR irradiated yttria
dissolver solution for the purification of 89Sr. The proposed
transport mechanism was validated with viscosity and water content
measurement of the membrane phase. The present SLM system containing
9 M HNO3//DtBuCH18C6/D2EHPA/heptane/PTFE//0.3 M HNO3 and pH 5 HNO3//D2EHPA/heptane/PTFE//9 M HNO3 established, for the first time, satisfactory purification
of 89Sr from its irradiated yttria matrix in a fast reactor,
i.e., FBTR, and was amenable to continuous operation with long-term
stability, demonstrated for about not less than a period of a week.
By incorporating a pair of membranes that are Sr and Y selective,
a Sr source with a radionuclidic purity of ≥99.6% was obtained
from actual dissolver solutions of the FBTR irradiated yttrium matrix.