The thermochromatographic behavior of no-carrier-added rhenium isotopes and macroscopic tungsten was studied at different temperatures as well as in dry and water-vapor containing (moist) atmospheres of oxygen or air. Due to the high thermal volatility of HReO4, 186/188Re can easily be separated from tungsten matrices in yields of 65±15% free from tungsten in less than one hour and in minimum volumes of various solutions. After double neutron capture by 186W, this separation process can be applied to construct a 188W/188Re generator. In addition, the thermochromatographic separation process might be an option to separate no-carrier-added 186Re after a 186W(p,n) or a 186W(d,2n) reaction at a small cyclotron.
© 2015 Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag GmbH, Rosenheimer Str. 145, 81671 München
