Synthesis and determination of manganese carbonate and manganese-54 carbonate

A method was developed by which radioactive manganese, manganese-54 carbonate (with a high specific activity), could be produced. This was accomplished by reacting manganese-54 chloride, manganese chloride tetrahydrate, and sodium bicarbonate. This reaction produced manganese-54 carbonate (specific activity .35 mCi/mg manganese mixed with stable manganese. The purity of the manganese carbonate (manganese-54 carbonate) was determined by the use of x-ray diffraction methods. One method compared "d" spacings (distance in angstroms between lattice planes of a crystal) with standard and index values for pure manganese carbonate. Another method compared x-ray diffractograms of the synthesized product with standard manganese carbonate. By both methods all material was the carbonate form of manganese (manganese-54 carbonate).