Separation of no-carrier-added astatine radionuclides from α-particle irradiated lead bismuth eutectic target: A classical method

Possibility of separation of no-carrier-added (NCA) astatine radionuclides from the bulk lead-bismuth-eutectic (LBE) target was explored in a simple way in the laboratory scale. A LBE target was irradiated by 40 MeV α-particles delivered from a cyclotron facility, India. Quantitative analysis of the irradiated target indicated the production of 210,209At, 207Po radionuclides in the target matrix. The 210,209At radionuclides were separated by precipitation of bulk Pb, Bi and NCA radiotoxic Po radionuclides.