Compact automated apparatus for rapid astatine recovery from nitric acid media: Design, application, and impurity characterization

•Automation of astatine recovery from nitric acid media.•Dry extraction chromatography column for medical astatine shipment.•Analysis of impurities and their origin.•Fast and efficient separation of astatine. Automation of irradiated bismuth target dissolution and astatine recovery from nitric acid media has been achieved at Texas A&M University. This process can be controlled remotely; it does not require any chemical treatment or evaporation of dissolution solution prior to the separation of above-mentioned elements on an extraction chromatography column, making the final product ready within 20 min. The accompanying radio-impurities have been identified and successfully separated from astatine, leading to greater than 99% radiopurity of the desired fractions. The system consists of only one pump and a set of LabVIEW controlled valves, and allows the connection of up to 10 different columns, providing the opportunity to prepare a variety of air dry columns, which can be different column geometries, containing astatine ready for further chemistry or shipment to desired facilities.