Separation of Radiometals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022118379-A1
Application number	US-201917266383-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 6, 2019
Priority date	Aug 7, 2018
Publication date	Apr 21, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Method of separation of a radiometal ion from a target metal ion, comprising a first liquid-liquid extraction step in which an organic phase comprising an extractant and an interfacial tension modifier is mixed with an aqueous phase comprising the radiometal ion and the target metal ion in order that the radiometal ion is at least partially transferred to the organic phase, followed by a first phase separation step, wherein the phase separation is carried out in flow comprising the use of a microfiltration membrane to separate the phases based on the interfacial tension between the phases such that a permeate phase passes through the membrane and a retentate phase does not.

First claim

1 . A method of separation of a radiometal ion from a target metal ion, comprising a first liquid-liquid extraction step in which an organic phase comprising an extractant and an interfacial tension modifier is mixed with an aqueous phase comprising the radiometal ion and the target metal ion in order that the radiometal ion is at least partially transferred to the organic phase, followed by a first phase separation step, wherein the phase separation is carried out in flow comprising the use of a microfiltration membrane to separate the phases based on the interfacial tension between the phases such that a permeate phase passes through the membrane and a retentate phase does not, wherein:
a. the radiometal ion is a 68 Ga ion, the target metal ion is a 68 Zn ion, the extractant is selected from one or more dialkyl ethers R 1 OR 2 , wherein the two alkyl groups R 1 and R 2 can be the same or different, or can together form a cyclic ether, and can optionally be substituted, and the interfacial tension modifier is selected from one or more aromatic hydrocarbons, which may optionally be halogenated, and/or one or more C2-C9 alkanes, which may optionally be halogenated; or b. the radiometal ion is a 89 Zr ion, the target metal ion is a nat Y ion, the extractant is a solvent able to function as a bidentate ligand for 89 Zr via two oxygen atoms, and the interfacial tension modifier is a solvent having similar properties to the extractant, but that are not able to function as a bidentate ligand for the 89 Zr ion, such that it does not interfere with the ability of the extractant to interact with the 89 Zr ions; or c. the radiometal ion is a 45 Ti ion, the target metal ion is a nat Sc ion, the extractant is a solvent able to function as a bidentate ligand for 45 Ti via two oxygen atoms, and the interfacial tension modifier is a solvent having similar properties to the extractant, but that are not able to function as a bidentate ligand for the 45 Ti ion, such that it does not interfere with the ability of the extractant to interact with the 45 Ti ions; or d. the radiometal ion is a 64 Cu ion, the target metal ion is a 64 Ni ion, the extractant is selected from: one or more trialkyl phosphine oxides; one or more alkylphosphoric acid monoalkyl esters; one or more diketones having the structure R 3 —C(═O)CH 2 C(═O)—R 4 , in which R 3 and R 4 are each independently an alkyl or an aryl group; and one or more aldoximes or ketoximes in which the substituent(s) of the oxime group are aromatic groups; and the interfacial tension modifier is a solvent comprising one or more straight or branched chain cyclic or acyclic aliphatic alkanes having from five to sixteen carbon atoms, which may optionally be substituted, and/or a solvent comprising one or more aromatic hydrocarbons, which may optionally be substituted.

2 . (canceled)

3 . (canceled)

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first liquid-liquid extraction step is conducted in flow, and wherein the first liquid-liquid extraction step comprises mixing the aqueous phase and the organic phase such that stable liquid-liquid segmented flow of the mixture is established.

5 . (canceled)

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous phase comprises a concentration of aqueous hydrochloric acid or nitric acid of greater than or equal to 3M.

7 . (canceled)

8 . (canceled)

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the radiometal ion and the target metal ion are defined as follows:
a. the radiometal ion is a 68 Ga(III) ion and the target metal ion is a 68 Zn(II) ion; or b. the radiometal ion is a 89 Zr(IV) ion and the target metal ion is a nat Y(III) ion; or c. the radiometal ion is a 45 Ti(IV) ion and the target metal ion is a nat Sc(III) ion; or d. the radiometal ion is a 64 Cu(II) ion and the target metal ion is a 64 Ni(TI) ion.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the radiometal ion is a Ti ion and the target metal ion is a Sc ion, and: the aqueous phase is a solution in 12M HCl; the extractant is selected from the group consisting of maltol, vanillin, eugenol, and guaiacol (o-methoxyphenol); and the interfacial tension modifiers are selected from the group consisting of fluorobenzene, trifluorotoluene, thiophene and anisole.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the extractant is guaiacol and the interfacial tension modifier is anisole.

12 . (canceled)

13 . (canceled)

14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the radiometal ion is a Ga ion and the target metal ion is a Zn ion, the extractant is selected from the group consisting of diethylether, butylmethyl ether, diisopropyl ether, tetrahydropyran, methyl hexyl ether, dibutyl ether and diamyl ether, and the interfacial tension modifier is selected from the group consisting of: a fluorinated aromatic hydrocarbon; an aromatic hydrocarbon; an alkoxybenzene; a halogenated alkane; and an alkane.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the aqueous phase is a solution in 6M HCl, and the extractant is selected from diethyl ether, diisopropyl ether, dibutyl ether, butyl methyl ether and hexyl methyl ether.

16 - 18 . (canceled)

19 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the extractant is selected from butyl methyl ether, diisopropyl ether, dibutyl ether and diethyl ether, and the interfacial tension modifier is selected from the group consisting of toluene, anisole, 1,2-dichloroethane, trifluorotoluene and heptane.

20 - 22 . (canceled)

23 . The method according to claim 14 , further comprising a back extraction procedure comprising, following the first phase separation step, a first back-extraction step in which an organic phase comprising the radiometal ion is mixed with an aqueous solution of a protic acid in order that the radiometal ion is at least partially transferred to the aqueous solution, followed by a back-extraction phase separation step, in which the phase separation is carried out in flow comprising the use of a microfiltration membrane to separate the phases based on the interfacial tension between the phases such that a permeate phase passes through the membrane and a retentate phase does not, in order to obtain an aqueous solution comprising the radiometal ion.

24 . The method according to claim 23 , wherein the aqueous solution of a protic acid is an aqueous solution of less than 6 M HCl.

25 - 31 . (canceled)

32 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the radiometal ion is a Zr ion and the target metal ion is a Y ion, the extractant is selected from the group consisting of maltol, vanillin, eugenol, and guaiacol (0-methoxyphenol), and the interfacial tension modifier is selected from the group consisting of fluorobenzene, trifluorotoluene, thiophene and anisole.

33 . The method according to claim 32 , wherein the extractant is guaiacol (o-methoxyphenol) and the interfacial tension modifier is anisole.

34 - 37 . (canceled)

38 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the radiometal ion is a Zr ion and the target metal ion is a Y ion, the extractant is 0.1 M trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO), the interfacial tension modifier is hexane, and the aqueous phase is a solution in 6 M HCl.

39 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the radiometal ion is a Cu ion and the target metal ion is a Ni ion, the extractant is selected from: one or more trialkylphosphine oxides in which the alkyl groups are selected f

Assignees

• Univ Denmark Tech Dtu
• Massachusetts Inst Technology

Inventors

• Zhuravlev Fedor
• Pedersen Kristina Søborg
• Fonslet Jesper
• Imbrogno Joseph Michael
• Adamo Andrea
• Jensen Klavs F

Classifications

• B01D61/18 Primary

  Apparatus therefor · CPC title

• C01G53/01

  Preparation or separation involving a liquid-liquid extraction, an adsorption or an ion-exchange · CPC title

• A61K51/0478

  complexes from non-cyclic ligands, e.g. EDTA, MAG3 · CPC title

• G21G1/00

  Arrangements for converting chemical elements by electromagnetic radiation, corpuscular radiation or particle bombardment, e.g. producing radioactive isotopes (separation of different isotopes of the same element B01D59/00) · CPC title

• C22B34/14

  Obtaining zirconium or hafnium {(treatment or purification of solutions by liquid-liquid extraction, by ion exchange or by adsorption C22B3/00, C01G25/003, C01G27/003)} · CPC title