ISSN 1017-2548(Print)
ISSN 2234-8530(Online)
Volume 17, Number 1
JKCSEZ 17(1)
February 20, 1973 

A method was developed for the separation of titanium, niobium and zirconium together in a group from the coexisting ions of various metals such as iron, cobalt, nickel, yttrium and rare earths by means of the cation exchange column using α-hydroxyisobutyric acid as the eluent. In the course of the present investigation, it was found that the tailing phenomena of zirconium were attributable to the hydroxide precipitation which was made prior to the elution. For example, if zirconium was precipitated by sodium hydroxide, the tailing of zirconium became very serious in contrast to the results reported by others. This paper describes how these tailing phenomena of zirconium were prevented and how a practical procedure for the separation of these ions was, achieved using ion-exchange method. Using the present method the nuclides of 90mY and 90Y were separated with radiochemical purity from the irradiated zirconium.