Study of the Coefficient of Separation of Several Processes for Lithium Isotopes; ETUDE DU COEFFICIENT DE SEPARATION DE QUELQUES PROCESSUS CONCERNANT LES ISOTOPES DU LITHIUM
The coefficient of separation was determined for several processes for lithium isotope separation. Rayleigh distillation of lithium metal at a pressure of 10/sup -1/ to 10/sup -2/ mm in the temperature range from 565 to 680 deg C gave a separation factor between 1.032 and 1.036. Distillations at a higher vacuum 10/sup -3/ to 10/sup -4/ mm and in an argon atmosphere at a pressure of 3 mm were also investigated. The separation factors were lower. A study of the efficiency of a distillation column gave poor results in comparison with the values found for the Rayleigh distillations. Some studies were made of the electrolysis of molten lithium nitrate, the countercurrent of the salt at the cathode being obtained by the continuous addition of ammonium nitrate. An isotopic ratio of 13.14 was found in the anode compartment after 12 amp-hr, a lower value than that found by previous investigators. Experiments on the electrolysis of aqueous solutions were made with a mercury cathode. The solution was cooled by a current of water and the amalgam was recovered by a mercury current. After electrolysis, the residual lithium was analyzed chemically and isotopically. By use of Rayleigh's formula, a separation fuctor of 1.07 was found for lithium chloride and 1.04 for lithium hydroxide. The figures are larger than those published before. In the study of ion exchange, band displacement and a series of batch exchanges were investigated. A separation factor of 1.004 was found for the batch exchange. The band displacement gave a good total factor, although the unitary separation factors were low. The chemical exchange between LiBr in dimethylformamide solution and lithium amalgam gave a separation factor of 1.05 plus or minus 0.025. The isotopic analyses were made by scintillation counting using the Li/sup 6/ (n, alpha ) reaction or mass spectrometry using lithium ions obtained by electron bombardment of LiI. (J.S.R.)
- Research Organization:
- Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique, Paris
- NSA Number:
- NSA-13-007291
- OSTI ID:
- 4282111
- Report Number(s):
- A/CONF.15/P/1267
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-59
- Country of Publication:
- Country unknown/Code not available
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
AMIDES
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
ARGON
CATHODES
COOLING
COUNTER CURRENT
DISTILLATION
EFFICIENCY
ELECTROLYSIS
ELECTRON BEAMS
FUSED SALTS
ION EXCHANGE
IONS
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
ISOTOPIC EXCHANGE
LITHIUM 6
LITHIUM ALLOYS
LITHIUM BROMIDES
LITHIUM CHLORIDES
LITHIUM HYDROXIDES
LITHIUM IODIDES
LITHIUM ISOTOPES
LITHIUM NITRATES
MASS SPECTROMETERS
MERCURY
MERCURY ALLOYS
METALS
NITRATES
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
PRESSURE
RECOVERY
SCINTILLATION COUNTERS
SOLUTIONS
TEMPERATURE
VACUUM
WATER