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The Chalk River Tritium Extraction Plant

Abstract

The Chalk River Tritium Extraction Plant for removal of tritium from heavy water is described. Tritium is present in the heavy water from research reactors in the form of DTO at a concentration in the range of 1-35 Ci/kg. It is removed by a combination of catalytic exchange to transfer the tritium from DTO to DT, followed by cryogenic distillation to separate and concentrate the tritium to T{sub 2}. The tritium product is reacted with titanium and packaged for transportation and storage as titanium tritide. The plant processes heavy water at a rate of 25 kg/h and removes 80% of the tritium and 90% of the protium per pass. Catalytic exchange is carried out in the liquid phase using a proprietary wetproofed catalyst. The plant serves two roles in the Canadian fusion program: it produces pure tritium for use in fusion research and development, and it demonstrates on an industrial scale many of the tritium technologies that are common to the tritium systems in fusion reactors (author)
Publication Date:
Jul 01, 1990
Product Type:
Technical Report
Report Number:
AECL-10185
Resource Relation:
Other Information: 12 refs., 1 fig. Reprinted from Fusion Engineering and Design, Vol.12, 1990, p.357-363; PBD: 1990
Subject:
07 ISOTOPES AND RADIATION SOURCES; CAPTURE; CATALYSIS; CHALK RIVER NUCLEAR LABS; CRYOGENICS; DEUTERIUM COMPOUNDS; DISTILLATION; HEAVY WATER; NEUTRON REACTIONS; TRITIUM EXTRACTION PLANTS; TRITIUM OXIDES
OSTI ID:
20257450
Research Organizations:
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Chalk River, Ontario (Canada)
Country of Origin:
Canada
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
TRN: CA0200123026093
Availability:
Available from INIS in electronic form
Submitting Site:
CANN
Size:
7 pages
Announcement Date:
Jul 17, 2002

Citation Formats

Holtslander, W J, Harrison, T E, and Spagnolo, D A. The Chalk River Tritium Extraction Plant. Canada: N. p., 1990. Web.
Holtslander, W J, Harrison, T E, & Spagnolo, D A. The Chalk River Tritium Extraction Plant. Canada.
Holtslander, W J, Harrison, T E, and Spagnolo, D A. 1990. "The Chalk River Tritium Extraction Plant." Canada.
@misc{etde_20257450,
title = {The Chalk River Tritium Extraction Plant}
author = {Holtslander, W J, Harrison, T E, and Spagnolo, D A}
abstractNote = {The Chalk River Tritium Extraction Plant for removal of tritium from heavy water is described. Tritium is present in the heavy water from research reactors in the form of DTO at a concentration in the range of 1-35 Ci/kg. It is removed by a combination of catalytic exchange to transfer the tritium from DTO to DT, followed by cryogenic distillation to separate and concentrate the tritium to T{sub 2}. The tritium product is reacted with titanium and packaged for transportation and storage as titanium tritide. The plant processes heavy water at a rate of 25 kg/h and removes 80% of the tritium and 90% of the protium per pass. Catalytic exchange is carried out in the liquid phase using a proprietary wetproofed catalyst. The plant serves two roles in the Canadian fusion program: it produces pure tritium for use in fusion research and development, and it demonstrates on an industrial scale many of the tritium technologies that are common to the tritium systems in fusion reactors (author)}
place = {Canada}
year = {1990}
month = {Jul}
}