Separation and purification of 249Cf and 245Cm

There is a need to provide radioactivity standards of the higher actinides in support of both decommissioning and remediation activities as well as routine environmental analysis. In the case 249Cf, this will provide a useful calibration nuclide for both α-and γ-spectrometry as well as improving knowledge of the decay scheme for this nuclide. There is anecdotal evidence to suggest that the chemical yield of americium and curium may differ in radiochemical analysis. Thus, a chemical yield tracer of 245Cm may help to resolve this issue and will be suitable for both, suitable for use as a chemical yield tracer for both α-particle spectrometry and mass spectrometry. An aged source of 249Cf was used as the source material for the separation of these two nuclides by cation-exchange, using 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-propanoic acid at controlled pH as an eluant, 249Cf being eluted before the 245Cm daughter. The purity of both nuclides was measured by γ-ray spectrometry.