The strontium ions removal to produce medical-grade 90Y using crown ether functionalized extractant

The highly efficient achievement paves the way for a facile and economical process for Strontium ions removal. A novel and reusable version of polystyrene resin functionalized with 2-acrylic acid methyl ester- 18-crown-6 was synthesized of separation of 90Y from 90Sr/90Y equilibrium mixture. The 2-hydroxy methyl- 18-crown-6 moieties end-capped with acrylate groups (a polymerizable ligand) were firstly prepared, followed by prepolymer complex formation with Sr(II). FT-IR, TGA, XRD and UV-vis analyses were employed to characterize the structure and thermal property of the extractant. The obtained results demonstrated that the polymerizable ligand was successfully bound to polymeric network. The column experiment showed that the resin could effectively separate Sr(II) in acidity mediums. The distribution coefficient (Kd) of 327.5 L/g could be achieved. The influences of various factor on the polymerʼ s extraction performance and the selectivity to Sr(II) over interfering ions were investigated. The extractant might be potentially applied for the radiostrontium removal.