RECOVERY OF TRITIUM OBTAINED AS A BY-PRODUCT IN THE PRODUCTION OF F-18

For samples of irradiated natural and enriched (95%) Li2CO3, normal di stillation to dryness of the alumina column eluates permits recuperati on of approximately 80% of the tritium. The distilled samples were con centrated by electrolysis and a subsequent vacuum distillation resulte d in a tritium enrichment of the order of 30%. The enriched samples we re used to prepare sealed, calibrated sources, with different levels o f tritium radioactivity, to be used as standards for the determination of tritium in unknown samples using liquid scintillation.