Hydrogen isotope separation utilizing bulk getters

Patent · Tue Aug 20 04:00:00 EDT 1991

OSTI ID:7031423

Knize, R J; Cecchi, J L

Tritium and deuterium are separated from a gaseous mixture thereof, derived from a nuclear fusion reactor or some other source, by providing a casing with a bulk getter therein for absorbing the gaseous mixture to produce an initial loading of the getter, partially desorbing the getter to produce a desorbed mixture which is tritium-enriched, pumping the desorbed mixture into a separate container, the remaining gaseous loading in the getter being deuterium-enriched, desorbing the getter to a substantially greater extent to produce a deuterium-enriched gaseous mixture, and removing the deuterium-enriched mixture into another container. The bulk getter may comprise a zirconium-aluminum alloy, or a zirconium-vanadium-iron alloy. The partial desorption may reduce the loading by approximately fifty percent. The basic procedure may be extended to produce a multistage isotope separator, including at least one additional bulk getter into which the tritium-enriched mixture is absorbed. The second getter is then partially desorbed to produce a desorbed mixture which is further tritium-enriched. The last-mentioned mixture is then removed from the container for the second getter, which is then desorbed to a substantially greater extent to produce a desorbed mixture which is deuterium-enriched. The last-mentioned mixture is then removed so that the cycle can be continued and repeated. The method of isotope separation is also applicable to other hydrogen isotopes, in that the method can be employed for separating either deuterium or tritium from normal hydrogen. 4 figures.

• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH03073
• Assignee: Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
• Patent Number(s): A; US 5041147
• Application Number: PPN: US 7-623837
• OSTI ID: 7031423
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES
070100* -- Physical Isotope Separation
ADSORPTION
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DESORPTION
DEUTERIUM
GETTERS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
RADIOISOTOPES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SORPTION
SORPTIVE PROPERTIES
STABLE ISOTOPES
SURFACE PROPERTIES
TRITIUM
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES