Separation of carrier-free gadolinium produced in an 80 MeV 12C6+ irradiated CeO2 target

Charged particle activation of natural CeO2 with 80 MeV 12C+6 results in the formation of the carrier-free gadolinium isotopes, 147,149Gd, in the matrix. The liquid cation exchanger, HDEHP, has been utilized effectively as an extractant in the quantitative separation of these gadolinium isotopes from the bulk target matrix of ceric oxide.