Device and method for separating oxygen isotopes
US4437958A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 11, 1978 |
| Grant date | Mar 20, 1984 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 11, 1998 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC01B2210/0026
- WIPO fieldMaterials, metallurgy
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A device and method for separating oxygen isotopes with an ArF laser which produces coherent radiation at approximately 193 nm. The output of the ArF laser is filtered in natural air and applied to an irradiation cell where it preferentially photodissociates molecules of oxygen gas containing .sup.17 O or .sup.18 O oxygen nuclides. A scavenger such as O.sub.2, CO or ethylene is used to collect the preferentially dissociated oxygen atoms and recycled to produce isotopically enriched molecular oxygen gas. Other embodiments utilize an ArF laser which is narrowly tuned with a prism or diffraction grating to preferentially photodissociate desired isotopes. Similarly, desired mixtures of isotopic gas can be used as a filter to photodissociate enriched preselected isotopes of oxygen.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.