Related Experiment Videos
Secondary standardisation of 95mTc.
A V Harms1, M Baker, S M Jerome
1National Physical Laboratory, Queens Road, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 0LW, UK. arvic.harms@npl.co.uk
Summary
Technetium-95m (95mTc) can be produced via an alpha reaction with niobium-93. This method yields pure 95mTc, suitable for use as a yield tracer in radiochemical analysis of technetium-99.
Area of Science:
- Nuclear Chemistry
- Radiochemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- The long-lived fission product technetium-99 (99Tc) is challenging to quantify due to its low-energy beta emission.
- Short-lived gamma-emitting radionuclides are valuable as yield tracers in radiochemical analysis.
- Technetium-95m (95mTc) is a potential tracer for 99Tc due to its suitable half-life and gamma emissions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a production method for 95mTc.
- To establish effective chemical separation techniques for 95mTc.
- To standardize the produced 95mTc for use as a radiochemical yield tracer.
Main Methods:
- Production of 95mTc via the (alpha, 2n) nuclear reaction using stable niobium-93 (93Nb) target.
- Chemical separation of 95mTc from the niobium matrix using coprecipitation, liquid-liquid extraction, and liquid chromatography.
- Secondary standardization of 95mTc using high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry and an ionization chamber system.
Main Results:
- Successful production of 95mTc via the 93Nb(alpha, 2n)95mTc reaction.
- The production route avoids the formation of other technetium isotopes (97mTc, 98Tc, 99Tc).
- Effective separation and standardization protocols for 95mTc were established.
Conclusions:
- The (alpha, 2n) reaction on 93Nb provides a reliable method for producing pure 95mTc.
- The developed chemical separation and standardization techniques enable the use of 95mTc as a yield tracer.
- This work facilitates accurate radiochemical analysis of the long-lived fission product 99Tc.