METHOD FOR SEPARATING CARBON-14 FROM PARTICULATE ION-EXCHANGE RESINS

摘要

Carbon-14 (C-14) is separated from ion exchange resin particles by forming a slurry of the loaded resin particles in an aqueous acidic solution which decomposes carbon compounds to yield carbon dioxide. A non-reactive gas is bubbled through the slurry, having a content of carbon dioxide sufficiently low that carbon dioxide transfers from the solution into the bubbles. The slurry is agitated sufficiently to drive the resin particles bodily through the slurry and to dislodge any gas films from the surfaces of the particles so that substantially no gas film or bubble visible to the eye builds up on the particles. The carbon dioxide laden gas evolving as bubbles from the slurry is collected and passed in contact with a carbon dioxide absorbent. The absorbent having the carbon dioxide absorbed thereby is then collected. This method achieves consistently high recoveries of C-14, and can be carried out on a large scale, using relatively simple apparatus.