Method of deuterium isotope separation and enrichment
US4081339A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 19, 1976 |
| Grant date | Mar 28, 1978 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 19, 1996 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC01B5/02
- WIPO fieldChemical engineering
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A method of separating deuterium, i.e. heavy hydrogen, from certain naturally occuring sources using tuned infrared lasers to selectively decompose specified classes of organic molecules (i.e. RX) into enriched molecular products containing deuterium atoms. The deuterium containing molecules are easily separated from the starting material by absorption, distillation or other simple chemical separation techniques and methods. After evaporation such deuterium containing molecules can be burned to form water with an enriched deuterium content or pyrolyzed to form hydrogen gas with an enriched deuterium content. The undecomposed molecules and the other reaction products which are depleted of their deuterium containing species can be catalytically treated, preferably using normal water, to restore the natural abundance of deuterium and such restored molecules can then be recycled.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.