Use of zirconium phosphate as ion exchanger in some parent-daughter radioisotope separations

Zirconium phosphate as ion exchanger suitable for column operation has been prepared by mixing hot metaphosphoric acid solution with a solution of zirconium oxychloride when the white insoluble phosphate separated out which was dried and purified. The ratio of zirconium: phosphate was found to be 1:2. Separation of parent-daughter systems like¹¹⁵Cd-^115mIn,¹⁴⁴Ce-¹⁴⁴Pr and²¹⁰Pb-²¹⁰Bi were carried out with this exchanger. γ-ray spectrum of the separated^115mIn and the β-decay curve of¹⁴⁴Pr and²¹⁰Bi showed that all the daughter activities are radiochemically pure. The separation process in each case takes less than half an hour and the yield is quantitative.