Device and method for separating oxygen isotopes

Patent · Wed Jan 11 04:00:00 EST 1978

OSTI ID:6477497

Rockwood, S D; Sander, R K

A device and method for separating oxygen isotopes with an ArF laser which produces coherent radiation at approximately 193 nm are described. The output of the ArF laser is filtered in natural air and applied to an irradiation cell where it preferentially photodissociates molecules of oxygen gas containing /sup 17/O or /sup 18/O oxygen nuclides. A scavenger such as O/sub 2/, CO or ethylene is used to collect the preferentially dissociated oxygen atoms and recycled to produce isotopically enriched molecular oxygen gas. Other embodiments utilize an ArF laser which is narrowly tuned with a prism or diffraction grating to preferentially photodissociate desired isotopes. Similarily, desired mixtures of isotopic gas can be used as a filter to photodissociate enriched preselected isotopes of oxygen.

• Assignee: Dept. of Energy
• Patent Number(s): None
• OSTI ID: 6477497
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES
070100* -- Physical Isotope Separation
ALKENES
ARGON COMPOUNDS
ARGON FLUORIDES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
ELEMENTS
ETHYLENE
FLUIDS
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
GAS LASERS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROCARBONS
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
LASER ISOTOPE SEPARATION
LASERS
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN ISOTOPES
RARE GAS COMPOUNDS
SEPARATION PROCESSES