SUMMARY REPORT ON RESEARCH ON ISOTOPE SEPARATION BY A DISTILLATION- DIFFUSION PROCESS

Technical Report · Sun Jun 30 04:00:00 EDT 1957

OSTI ID:4325941

Harteck, P; Mannella, G

An investigation has been carried on to study the feasibility of separating isotopes by a process of distillationdiffusion. The process consists of evaporating molecules of the binary mixture to be separated, diffusing them through a barrier gas of suitable mass, and condensing them at a cold surface. The condensate is delivered back to the evaporating surface, setting up a counterflow. Using an all-glass system, isotopes were separated as part of an organic molecule with a stage efficiency of about 50%. In order to increase the effectiveness of the process, an allmetal apparatas with a rotating separation tube was constructed. The rotation of the tube negated the effects of surface tension and permitted the distance between the evaporating and condensing surfaces to be held to a minimum. This greatly increased the transport of isotopes. Nineteen runs were made using lithium as the binary mixture. The best separation factor obtained was 1.54. By constructing an apparatus which would rotate with a centrifugal force of about 100 g's, and using direct heating instead of radiation, it is believed the distillation-diffusion process can be used to separate isotopes of alkaline metals with a high efficiency. The process is a general one and requires no modification in equipment to be used as an ideal distillation, if desired. (auth)

• Research Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy, N.Y.
• NSA Number: NSA-12-007934
• OSTI ID: 4325941
• Report Number(s): SO-3262
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

BARRIERS
CENTRIFUGATION
CESIUM ISOTOPES
COUNTER CURRENT
DIFFUSION
DISTILLATION
EFFICIENCY
EVAPORATION
GASES
GLASS
HEATING
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
LIQUEFYING
LITHIUM ISOTOPES
METALS
MOLECULES
PHYSICS
POTASSIUM ISOTOPES
ROTATION
RUBIDIUM ISOTOPES
SODIUM ISOTOPES
SURFACES
TENSILE PROPERTIES
TUBES