The use of selective volatization in the separation of 68Ge from irradiated Ga targets

Cyclotron-produced 68Ge can be separated from its Ga target material by dissolving the target in aqua regia and collecting the volatile 68Ge in a solution containing 1.0 M NaOH and 2% Na2SO3. The solution is then acidified with HF before being loaded onto a column containing AG MP-1 anion exchange resin. The column is rinsed with dilute HF to remove any remaining impurities, before eluting the desired product with 0.1 M HCl. A radiochemically pure product is obtained.