Proposal to realize a cost breakthrough in carbon-13 production by photochemical separation

Technical Report · Mon Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1979

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6692932· OSTI ID:6692932

Marling, J B

A cost breakthrough can now be made in photochemical production of the rare stable isotope carbon-13. This cost breakthrough is achieved by CO/sub 2/ laser infrared multiple-photon dissociation of any of several halocarbons (Freon derivatives) such as CF/sub 3/Cl, CF/sub 3/Br, or CF/sub 2/Cl/sub 2/. The single-step carbon-13 enrichment factor for this process is approximately 50, yielding 30% pure C-13 in one step, or up to 97% pure C-13 in two steps. A three-fold carbon-13 cost reduction to below $20/gram is expected to be achieved in a small laboratory-scale demonstration facility capable of producing 4 to 8 kg/year of carbon-13, using presently available pulsed CO/sub 2/ TEA lasers at an average power level of 50 watts. Personnel costs dominate the attainable C-13 production costs in a small photochemical enrichment facility. A price reduction to $2/gm carbon-13 is feasible at carbon-13 production levels of 100 to 1000 kg/year, dominated by the Freon raw material costs.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Livermore (USA). Lawrence Livermore Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6692932
• Report Number(s): UCID-18604
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400303* -- Organic Chemistry-- Isotope Exchange & Isotope Separation-- (-1987)
CARBON 13
CARBON DIOXIDE LASERS
CARBON ISOTOPES
COST
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FREONS
GAS LASERS
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
INFRARED RADIATION
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
ISOTOPES
LASER ISOTOPE SEPARATION
LASERS
LIGHT NUCLEI
NUCLEI
OPERATING COST
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIATIONS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
STABLE ISOTOPES