Studies on Fundamental Properties of Alumina Adsorbent for Radioisotope Production

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Some fundamental properties of chromatographic alumina, used for the preparation of radio-isotope generators and for the separation of fission products, were examined in connection with pretreatment procedures prescribed for the alumina to improve its properties in respect of alumina dissolution by certain eluants, its adsorption capacity for certain ions, and the effects of differences in the mode of storage.
The commercially available brand of chromatographic alumina used in this work showed an increase in its adsorption capacity and a decrease in alumina dissolution, when it was ignited for 10 hr at 400C and treated thereafter with boiling dilute hydrochloric acid. When treated by the above procedure, the properties of the alumina in respect of dissolution and adsorption capacity were found to be unaffected by extended periods of storage under conditions correspond-ing to normal operation.
The pretreated alumina was made into column form. The dissolution of alumina with vari-ous kinds of eluants and the adsorption capacity for chloride, sulfate, fluoride, tellurite, tellu-rate, and molybdate ions were examined. The dissolution of alumina differed according to eluant, the sequence from larger to smaller dissolution being sodium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, ammonium hydroxide and sodium chloride. It was also observed that the adsorption capacity and the elution conditions for tellurium and molybdenum were greatly affected by the pH of the solution and their valency.