Purification of neutron-irradiated tellurium targets from cross-radiocontaminants by precipitation with 1,10-phenanthroline

Irradiated tellurium targets were purified by precipitation from 6 M HCl solution using 1,10-phenanthroline. The effect of molar ratio of the reactants (initial 1,10-phenanthroline:Te molar ratio) on the precipitation yield of radiotellurium was studied. It was found that, >99% of radiotellurium has been taken up by the precipitate formed with the initial 2 phenanthroline:1Te molar ratio along with different decontamination ratios from the other cross-radiocontaminants; ≥99.9% of 65Zn, 97.7 ± 1.2% of 75Se, ≥99.9% 110mAg, and 95.4 ± 2.5% of 124Sb. Traces of 51Cr, 54Mn, 59Fe, and 60Co have been detected only in the supernatant after the precipitation process. Un-irradiated tellurium was precipitated with 1,10-phenanthroline under the same conditions with the initial 2phenanthroline:1Te molar ratio and, then, the precipitate formed was characterized by IR spectroscopy and thermal analysis. The most probable chemical composition of this precipitate was [Te(phen)2Cl4]·3.4H2O.