PRODUCTION OF THORIUM 228 STARTING FROM A NATURAL THORIUM SALT

摘要

The invention relates to a process for producing ²²⁸Th from a natural thorium salt, which comprises in succession: a) the separation of the radium from the other radioelements present in this salt, by at least one coprecipitation of the radium by barium sulphate, this coprecipitation comprising: i) the addition of sulphuric acid and a barium salt to an aqueous solution of said natural thorium salt in order to form a barium-radium sulphate coprecipitate and ii) the separation of the coprecipitate from the medium in which it has formed; b) the extraction of the thorium 228 coming from the decay of radium 228 from the coprecipitate thus separated; and, optionally c) the purification and concentration of the ²²⁸Th thus extracted. Applications: manufacture of radiopharmaceutical products useful in nuclear medicine, in particular in radioimmunotherapy for the treatment of cancers and AIDS.