Age dating of liquid 90Sr–90Y sources

In the context of age dating of 90Sr, the selective adsorption of zirconium ions from the mixture with strontium and yttrium by adsorbents based on TiO2 with a chemically modified surface was investigated. The general features of the separation process of strontium, yttrium, and zirconium in batch conditions were determined. Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to analyze the initial and residual concentrations of the studied cations. Separation of 90Zr and 90Sr from a liquid source containing 90Sr–90Y using adsorbents based on TiO2 was performed for the first time. The ratio of 90Zr/90Sr was measured, and the age of liquid 90Sr–90Y sources was determined. In addition, we studied the age dating of 90Sr–90Y sources using a combination of liquid-scintillation counting of 90Sr and ICP-MS measurement. The results of both methods – the method of age-dating with the chemical separation of isotopes and the combination of LSC and ICP-MS analysis – agree very well and thus serve for cross-validation. Moreover, the combination of the two methods increases the confidence in the age-dating results of 90Sr–90Y sources. [Display omitted] •Separation of 90Zr and 90Sr using adsorbents based on TiO2 was performed.•Age-dating method of the 90Sr–90Y sources using chemical separation of 90Zr and 90Sr was developed.•The combination of LSC of 90Sr with ICP-MS analysis was also proposed for age dating.•These two methods increase the confidence in the age dating of 90Sr–90Y sources.