Separat1on of Iodine-131 from Neutron Irradiated Tellurium Using Hydrogen Ieroxide

When the former method is employed for production, enriched uranium irradiated for 2-3 weeks in the nuclear reactor is dissoivoc! in nitric acid and the iodine-131 is distilled and collected. '*) But separation of iodine-1 31 from pile irradiated tellurium targets is the most commonly used method of production. The methods <d Reparation varies for different targets. With metal tellurium the target is dissolved in a mixture of sulphuric acid and chromic acid and the iodine is distilled off after reduction with oxalic acid, 'w A. dry distillation method is generally used when tellurium dioxide is used as the target. w»4). The methods of separation take a little more than a day for completion and it was of interest to develop a speedier method. In the Isotope Laboratory at Trombay, we have developed a new method'-) based on the dissolution of neutron irradiated tellurium in hydrogen peroxide and sodium hydroxide iollowed by acidification and distillation of the iodine-131. The present paper is an extension of this work in line with a method reported by Gleason' ' wherein tellurium 1B directly dissolved in hydrogen peroxide and sulphuric acid.