The application of poorly crystalline silicotitanate in production of 225 Ac

Actinium-225 ( 225 Ac) can be produced from a Thorium-229/Radium-225 ( 229 Th/ 225 Ra) generator, from high/low energy proton irradiated natural Thorium or Radium-226 target. Titanium based ion exchanger were evaluated for purification of 225 Ac. Poorly crystalline silicotitanate (PCST) ion exchanger had high selectivity for Ba, Ag and Th. 225 Ac was received with trace amounts of 227 Ac, 227 Th and 223 Ra, and the solution was used to evaluate the retention of the isotopes on PCST ion exchanger. Over 90% of the 225 Ac was recovered from PCST, and the radiopurity was >99% (calculated based on 225 Ac, 227 Th, and 223 Ra). The capacity of the PCST inorganic ion exchange for Barium and 232 Th was determined to be 24.19 mg/mL for Barium and 5.05 mg/mL for Thorium. PCST ion exchanger could separate 225 Ac from isotopes of Ra and Th, and the process represents an interesting one step separation that could be used in an 225 Ac generator from 225 Ra and/or 229 Th. Capacity studies indicated PCST could be used to separate 225 Ac produced on small 226 Ra targets (0.3–1 g), but PCST did not have a high enough capacity for production scale Th targets (50–100 g).