[Focusing chromatography using a dilute precipitation reagent--separation of 226Ra decayed nuclides by potassium fluoride (author's transl)].
The electrophoresis of 226Ra and it's decayed nuclides was carried out by using hydrochloric acid in the positive electrode cell and aqueous solution of potassium fluoride in the negative electrode cell. Experimental factors, i.e. concentrations of potassium fluoride and hydrochloric acid, intensity of electric field, duration for electrophoresis and pH value of the potassium fluoride solution etc. were examined. The sample solution was of 0.01 M hydrochloric acid with a tracer amount of 226Ra and 210Pb. Each of these nuclides was carrier free and was 4GB1/l(1 muCi/ml) in concentration. For the sake of autoradiography, a photoengraving film (Fujilith Ortho Film, TAC = 135) was made use of examining the locations of the separated radioactive bands obtained on the paper strip. Their beta and gamma radioactivities were detected as the film darkening on developing the film. According to the positions thus detected, the strip filter paper was cut into pieces and the species of radionuclides were determined by the measurements of energies and half-lives on beta and gamma rays. The locations of the separated alpha-radionuclides were decided by etching the surface of it's film with 6 M aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide and the species of radionuclides were determined by the solid state alpha-track detection method. As the result, the optimum conditions for the separation are to use 0.01 M hydrochloric acid in the positive cell and 0.005 M potassium fluoride of pH 6.2 in the negative cell, intensity of the applied electric field being 1000 V/30 cm, and electrophoresis time being 20 minutes. The proposed method gave good results for focusing and separating the radium series nuclides. Bands of 210Bi and 210Po were found on the positive electrode side, while the bands of 226Ra and 210Pb (containing 214Pb) were on the negative electrode side.