Adsorption and colloidal behavior of traces of hexavalent tellurium in aqueous solutions

The solutions of carrier-free^125mTe(VI) have been prepared by oxidizing^125mTe(IV) with bromine. Using carrier-free^125mTe(VI) as a tracer, the effects of pH, NaCl concentration, and tellurium(VI) concentration on the adsorption and colloidal properties of tellurium(VI) in NaCl solution have been studied. It has been found that traces of tellurium(VI) are adsorbed on filter paper and show colloidal behavior in the basic region. A method has been devised for the separation of carrier-free^125mTe from its parent nuclide¹²⁵Sb, based on the adsorption properties of^125mTe(VI) in basic solutions.