TC-99M GENERATOR BASED ON 12-MOLYBDOCERATE-MO-99 PRECIPITATE AS COLUMN MATRIX

The preparation of insoluble 12-molybdocerate(IV) from Mo-99 of low specific activity, produced by thermal neutron irradiation of MoO3, is described. Samples of the material are dried at 50, 100 and 200-degrees-C and used as column matrices from which the generated Tc-99m activity is periodically eluted with saline solution or saline solution containing 5.10(-5) M K2CrO4 as an oxidant. The elution yields of Tc-99m are high and reproducible (95-81 %) with radionuclidic purity greater-than-or-equal-to 99.98%. Both chemical and radiochemical purity (as TcO4-) of the eluates decrease with increasing drying temperature of the column matrix. Using chromated saline solution as eluent improves the radiochemical purity of the Tc-99m eluate.