Separation of rhodium-103m from ruthenium-103 by solvent extraction

The results for eight replications of the solvent extraction and purification procedures were /sup 103m/Rh yield, 100.9 +- 2.1% and /sup 103/Ru contamination, 0.0%. The use of sodium hypochlorite as the oxidizing agent eliminated the need for fuming with 1:1 H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ to eliminate chlorides as was required when ceric sulfate was used as the oxidizing agent. The optimum pH for extraction of RuO/sub 4/ into CCl/sub 4/ was determined to be in the range 6.5 to 7.5. A boiling procedure was used to purify the extracted aqueous solution of /sup 103m/Rh. (LK)