Method for isotope replenishment in an exchange liquid used in a laser induced isotope enrichment process
A method is described for deuterium or tritium isotope replenishment of an exchange liquid in a process for concentrating deuterium or tritium by means of a laser induced selective photodissociation of a deuterium or tritium containing working compound mixed with its protiated or deuterated analog. The working compound is selected from the group consisting of a dueterated or tritiated analog of a dihalomethane, a trihalomethane, a 1,2-dihaloethylene, a trihaloethylene, a tetrahaloethane, and a pentahaloethane. The method comprises: selectively laser photodissociating the working compound to give an isotope enriched compound and an isotope depleted working compound; contacting the isotope depleted working compound mixture countercurrently with an exchange liquid having approximately the isotope concentration of an external source feed stream of water of D/sub 2/O in a first contacting column. The countercurrent contacting provides an isotope replenishment of the working compound as it moves up the column and an isotope depletion of the exchange liquid as it moves down the column. The exchange liquid consists essentially of a mixture of water of D/sub 2/O and a strong base catalyst; removing isotope deplated exchange liquid from the bottom of the first column; contacting the isotope depleted exchange liquid countercurrently with the feed stream in a second contacting apparatus thereby providing isotope replenishment of the exchange liquid and isotope depletion of the feed stream without causing salting out of the base catalyst; and removing the isotope replenished exchange liquid from one end of the second apparatus for use in the first column and removing isotope depleted water of D/sub 2/O steam from the other end of the second apparatus.
- Assignee:
- NOV; EDB-87-007814; NOV-85-032407
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4620909
- OSTI ID:
- 6978982
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF DEUTERIUM- ENRICHED HYDROGEN
Apparatus for removal and recovery of tritium from light and heavy water
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ALKANES
ALKENES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CATALYSTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COUNTER CURRENT
DECOMPOSITION
DEUTERIUM
DISPERSIONS
ETHANE
ETHYLENE
FLUIDS
HEAVY WATER
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ISOTOPE RATIO
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
ISOTOPES
LASER ISOTOPE SEPARATION
LIGHT NUCLEI
LIQUIDS
METHANE
MIXTURES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
PHOTOLYSIS
RADIOISOTOPES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
STABLE ISOTOPES
TRITIUM
WATER
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES