(1) Forensic Chemistry Laboratory, P.O. Box 668, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa;(2) National Accelerator Centre, P.O. Box 72, Faure, 7131, South Africa;(3) Department of Chemistry, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Abstract:
Systematic information of exchange behavior of Ge(IV) and Ga(III) in varying oxalic acid (0.05M and 0.25M) and sulphuric acid (0.005M-2M range) mixtures is presented. These findings were used to develop a separation involving 68Ge from a Ga2O target material. A method based on acid dissolution of the target and chromatography on an anion exchange resin (Bio-RadÒ AG1-X8) was developed. The separated 68Ge has high radionuclidic purity and an acceptable chemical purity.