Separation of 153Sm as a therapeutic radionuclide from Eu impurities using electro-amalgamation

Given to its favorable radionuclidic characteristics, such as tl/2 = 1.93 days and Eβ(max) = 0.71 MeV and ease of its large-scale production using medium flux research reactors, 153Sm is an attractive radionuclide for various therapeutic applications. 153Sm is a beta and gamma emitter that due to its physical and radiochemical properties is ideal for the treatment of bone metastasis. In this study, 153Sm was produced by thermal neutrons irradiation of 152Sm in the Tehran research reactor with a flux of 2.5 ×1013 n / cm2.s. A two-step electrolysis was used to separate 153Sm with separation efficiency of 88.25% from europium in lithium citrate medium by optimization of voltage (6V), electrolyte concentration (0.2 M), pH (6) and time (30 min).