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Design of a formaldehyde photodissociation process for carbon and oxygen isotope separation

Conference ·
OSTI ID:10168909
The current shortage of {sup 18}O has revived interest in using one step UV photodissociation of formaldehyde to enrich {sup 13}C, {sup 17}O and {sup 18}O. The frequency doubled output of the copper laser pumped dye laser system currently in operation at LLNL can be used to drive this dissociation. The authors use a simple kinetics model and their experience with Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation (AVLIS) process design to examine the relative merits of different designs for a formaldehyde photodissociation process. Given values for the molecular photoabsorption cross section, partition function, spectroscopic selectivity, collisional exchange and quenching cross sections (all as parameters), they perform a partial optimization in the space of illuminated area, formaldehyde pressure in each stage, and formaldehyde residence time in each stage. They examine the effect of cascade design (heads and tails staging) on molecule and photon utilization for each of the three isotope separation missions, and look in one case at the system`s response to different ratios of laser to formaldehyde costs. Finally, they examine the relative cost of enrichment as a function of isotope and product assay. Emphasis is as much on the process design methodology, which is general, as on the specific application to formaldehyde.
Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
10168909
Report Number(s):
UCRL-JC--110875; CONF-930159--40; ON: DE93016435
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English