Isotope separation by laser means

Patent · Tue Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:6463293

Boyer, K; Cotter, T P; Greiner, N R; Jensen, R J; Robinson, C P

A process for separating isotopes by selective excitation of isotopic species of a volatile compound by tuned laser light. A highly cooled gas of the volatile compound is produced in which the isotopic shift is sharpened and defined. Before substantial condensation occurs, the cooled gas is irradiated with laser light precisely tuned to a desired wavelength to selectively excite a particular isotopic species in the cooled gas. The laser light may impart sufficient energy to the excited species to cause it to undergo photochemical reaction or even to photoionize. Alternatively, a two-photon irradiation may be applied to the cooled gas to induce photochemical reaction or photoionization. The process is particularly applicable to the separation of isotopes of uranium and plutonium.

• Assignee: Dept. of Energy
• Patent Number(s): US 4334883
• OSTI ID: 6463293
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 14 Aug 1973; Other Information: PAT-APPL-387859
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
EXPANSION
LASER ISOTOPE SEPARATION
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
ADIABATIC PROCESSES
CARRIERS
EXCITATION
GASES
IRRADIATION
NOZZLES
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
PHOTOIONIZATION
SPECTRAL SHIFT
SUPERSONIC FLOW
TUNING
URANIUM FLUORIDES
URANIUM ISOTOPES
VOLATILE MATTER
WAVELENGTHS
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
IONIZATION
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
ISOTOPES
MATTER
SEPARATION PROCESSES
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
050503* - Nuclear Fuels- Uranium Enrichment- Laser Excitation- (-1989)