REILLEX™-HPQ ANION EXCHANGE COLUMN CHROMATOGRAPHY: REMOVAL OF PERTECHNETATE FROM DSSF-5 SIMULANT AT VARIOUS FLOW RATES

The 1% breakthrough volumes (BTV) for TcO(4)(-) on Reillex(TM)-HPQ anion exchange resin columns have been measured as a function of flow rate. The 1% BTV is defined as that point in the column loading when an aliquot of eluent contains 1% of the activity of an equivalent aliquot of column feed solution. The 2.54 x 50 cm resin columns were loaded with a DSSF-5 simulant containing 5.0 x 10(-5) M (99)TcO(4)(-) and (95m)TcO(4)(-) tracer. Seven flow rate experiments were performed with flow rates varying from 15 to 65 mL/min. The 1% BTV, measured in resin bed volumes (BV) can be related to flow rate (mL/min) by the following equation. 1% BTV = (67.85 +/- 3.76) - (0,6019 +/- 0.0815)(flow rate) The columns were up-flow eluted with a 1.0 M NaOH/1.0 M ethylenediamine/ 0.0050 M SnCl(2) solution. For six flow experiments, the average technetium eluted was (97.1 +/- 6.0) percent and the average technetium accountability for loading and eluting was (97.8 +/- 5.9) percent. Loading experiments to 90% breakthrough were performed at a flow rate of 60 mL/min for Reillex(TM)-HPQ and AG(R)MP-1 columns. The Reillex(TM)-HPQ displayed better column loading performance as indicated by smaller percent breakthrough volumes. However, in this experiment, the AG(R)MP-1 gave 100% elution, whereas the Reillex(TM)-HPQ gave only 70% elution.