Abstract
Enrichment of 32P was attempted by Szillard-Chalmers effect on a neutron irradiated tripolyphosphate hexahydrate in the first eluate from anion-exchange resin column by chromatographic separation with gradient elution. Forty to fifty % of radioactive 32P was found as orthophosphate, having a specific activity of around 100mCi/g of phosphorus at the end of about 20 min irradiation with a neutron flux of 5×1012n/cm2•sec in the KUR 1MW reactor. The increase of specific activity is straightforward for a short period of irradiation. The enrichment factor was several thousand when recrystallized tripolyphosphate hexahydrate was used as target compound containing 0.02% of orthophosphate-P as impurity. Radiation effect, radiolysis by γ-rays and fast neutron, thermal degradation and isotopic exchange effect were examined as factors that might affect the enrichment. Therelation between the specific activity of the isolated phosphates and the exposure time was estabished from a series of experiments in which the time of irradiation was varied.
