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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Process for preparing a chemical compound enriched in isotope content. [nitrogen 15-enriched nitric acid]

Patent ·
OSTI ID:5741103

A process to prepare a chemical enriched in isotope content includes: a chemical exchange reaction between a first and second compound which yields an isotopically enriched first compound and an isotopically depleted second compound; the removal of a portion of the first compound as product and the removal of a portion of the second compound as spent material; the conversion of the remainder of the first compound to the second compound for reflux at the product end of the chemical exchange reaction region; the conversion of the remainder of the second compound to the first compound for reflux at the spent material end of the chemical exchange region; and the cycling of the additional chemicals produced by one conversion reaction to the other conversion reaction, for consumption therein. One of the conversion reactions is an oxidation reaction, and the energy that it yields is used to drive the other conversion reaction, a reduction. The reduction reaction is carried out in a solid polymer electrolyte electrolytic reactor. The overall process is energy efficient and yields no waste by-products. A particular embodiment of the process in the production of nitrogen-15-enriched nitric acid.

DOE Contract Number:
AC04-76DP00053
Assignee:
TIC; NTS-82-003994; EDB-82-072322; ERA-07-030320
Patent Number(s):
None
Application Number:
ON: DE82004526
OSTI ID:
5741103
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English