Separation of strontium-90 and yttrium-90 in the presence of thorium-234 by dynamic ion chromatography

A relatively rapid (<20 min) technique is described for the analysis of ⁹⁰Sr and ⁹⁰Y in the presence of ²³⁴Th. The method joins ion-chromatography and on-line scintillation detection. Experiments were performed to characterize separation of the three radionuclides in an Ion Pac CS5 ion-exchange column under the influence of the following eluents: oxalic acid, diglycolic acid (DGA), -hydroxy isobuteric acid (HIBA), and a mixture of hydrochloric acid and ammonium sulfate. Ammonium sulfate was the most effective of the eluents tested, yielding a resolution of 2.04 for strontium/yttrium and 1.03 for strontium/thorium. Within the limits of experimental uncertainty, the recoveries were quantitative for ⁹⁰Sr and ⁹⁰Y in the presence of 17 to 262 Bq·ml of ²³⁴Th.The authors thank Professor Dr R. A. Fjeld, Department of Environmental and Engineering Science, Clemson University, USA, for his helpful support and discussion.